Updated: February 20/2009
If you enjoy our tips,
tell your friends to subscribe to this newsletter. I'm posting a few of
their articles but there are so many hints and tips at that site that you should
really subscribe to it in order to keep up to date on the new computer
technology. You can also submit your own questions to the site. There are also
jokes, thoughts, recommendations to other sites and monthly screensavers. I
hope they don't mind if I post of few of their better tips here but I urge you
to visit the site and subscribe! I guarantee you won't regret it!
http://www.worldstart.com/referafriend.htm
Be sure to check out the Worthwhile Websites for much more links on this subject!
http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads2.html
"29 Exceptional Products for Tech Lovers":
From laptops to printers, to
GPS
devices and cell phones, we honor just a few of the products that broke
performance, design, and price barriers in 2007.
View the slide show
There are all kinds of video about adding ram, installing graphic cards, changing your bios, cleaning your computer etc… Go check it out!
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/49-how-to-add-ram-to-a-laptop-video.htm
Top Niche Social Networking Sites
So, you saw the two other community sites and neither of those rings your bell.
Well, check out this list of niche social networking sites. Maybe there will
even be a site for people who enjoy ringing bells.
- Web Trends Guide
Daniel Nations
10 Useful Google Tools Google is the undisputed leader in searching the Web, but the company doesn't like resting on its laurels. What other products does the Internet behemoth offer?
10 Worst Computer Viruses of All Time
Vista Tips, Tricks, and Tweaks
http://www.howtogeek.com/tag/windows-vista/
10 Useful Google Tools Google is the undisputed leader in searching the Web, but the company doesn't like resting on its laurels. What other products does the Internet behemoth offer?
Secret Guide To Computers http://secretguide.net/read/index.php
No need to wonder any longer where to go on the web if you have computer-related questions. She has the best answers to your questions, especially if you aren’t particularly technical. Her site is fun to cruise around http://www.asktcl.com/
Index
about the MacBook Air March 21/08
Acronyms for online chats June 28/07
ActiveX Heads Up Feb 7/08
add ons for Firefox 3 June 30/08
Add/Remove Programs area May 11/07
Adding More Google Toolbar Buttons March 8/07
à, é, ì, ø and ñ Dec 10/07
Akapost Sept 9/08
All About Webcasts Feb 7/07
All about Wiki Jan 25/08
Alphabetize It! March 14/08
alternative programs instead of iTunes Dec 3/07
Alternative Virus Removal June 23/08
A.nnotate, a Web site where you can upload a document or Web page you need feedback Feb 9/09
Anonymous Surfing 101 Sept 5/08
AntiFreeze Dec 3/08
Anti-Spam Tips, Tricks and Secrets
Anti virus-is it ok to run more than one at the same time June 1/07
antivirus program on our computers July 22/08
Antivirus 2009 ALERT!! DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS! Sept 26/08
AnyTV Feb 15/08
anything new been going on with Gmail lately Dec 5/07
Application Monitor Dec 3/08
Arranging Your Files and Folders May 16/08
Atomic Cleaner Nov 14/08
Attachment Safety June 22/07
Audio Problems Sept 28/07
Automatic filling of email address and passwords August 22/07
Automatically backup your hard drive March 16/07
Avira AntiVir Personal May 24/08
Avoid being the victim of identity theft
Avoid Getting Spam Altogether April 19/08
Back to School Security Tips August 2/07
Back to the Way it Was March 31/07
back up my folders with something other than a CD Jan 31/08
Backup Software Programs Jan 18/08
Backup Tools to The Rescue Oct 3/07
Back up your computer to save time and money Oct 31/08
Backup Your Software License Keys and Registration Codes
Banish email clutter Nov 24/08
Basics of Blogging Jan 23/08
basic steps for reformatting a computer July 27/07
Before You Choose a Notebook PC Nov 15/07
Before You Choose a Notebook PC -Part 2 July 25/08
Beginners Guide to Dreamweaver Feb 25/07
Best Freeware Downloads on the Web June 22/07
Better Gmail Sept 14/07
Better laptop safety on the road Feb 4/09
Better Vista Defrag Nov 17/07
BgInfo Nov 10/07
BIG Keyboard Shortcut List Dec 1/08
Bluetooth gadgets Jan 23/09
Booklet Creator website March 25/08
BookmarkSync June 14/08
BrainBoost August 29/07
Branding Your Computer April 6/07
bring your old and worn in keyboard back to life
Broken Scroll Wheel April 10/08
BrowserSpy March 22/07
BullGuard Spamfilter 8.0 - Free Spam Filter April 19/08
Burning DVDs in Vista Feb 8/08
Business Functions Sept 30/08
buy an external hard drive June 6/08
Buying a Laptop: What to Look For Aug 25/08
Buying an Inkjet Printer: Dos and Don'ts Feb 7/08
Buying a Webcam Dec 17/07
Buying Headphones May 4/07
"Cannot Delete File" error April 17/07
Capzles. create time capsules using photos, videos and even their own blogs, all for free! Jan 23/09
CCleaner July 11/07
CD AutoRun in Vista May 4/07
CD Burning Troubles May 30/07
change my e-mail address to something a little easier Oct 17/08
Change Your XP Sounds February 1/07
characters like the cent sign, April 19/08
check my Web browser for security Dec 3/07
Checking for Infections with VirusTotal Oct 10/08
Choosing a UPS July 21/07
Clean My Registry May 3/08
Cleaning Your Computer: 12 Simple Tips Nov 1/07
Cleaning Your Laptop Sept 30/08
Cleanup Assistant April 16/08
Cold Weather Tips for Laptops Nov 21/08
ColorfulTabs for Firefox Aug 29/08
Commandments of Computing June 14/08
Commandments of E-Mail March 6/07
Common Craft-website that answers your pc questions April 10/08
Common IM Acronyms Jan 11/08
Common iPod Problems: Fixed Oct 11/07
Common Mac Myths exposed Dec 5/08
common mistakes we all make in accordance to e-mail security March 14/07
Common Validation Problems and How to Fix Them August 18/07
Comodo Firewall Pro Aug 29/08
Comparing Instant Messengers Jan 11/08
Comparison of Web Browsers for Windows June 22/07
Computer fans Oct 19/07
Computer Freedom Oct 19/07
Computer Gaming on a Budget July 5/07
Computer keeps freezing-what to do?
Computer Hacking and Identity Theft
Computer Storage Devices May 16/07
computer term and acronyms May 7/08
computer theft, but what if its already happened Feb 9/09
Computing Energy Savers July 16/07
Connect your computer to TV Jan 14/09
Conquer Gmail Jan 4/08
Converting Slides to Screensavers
Cool online tools to check out Dec 10/07
Cool things you can do with google May 24/07
Control C program March 1/08
Control That Virus July 22/08
COPY AND PASTE June 25/08
Corel Painter X August 18/07
create a signature Feb 20/09
Create an E-mail Business Card Sept 7/07
Create and manage your passports Jan 23/09
Create Animated GIFs Online April 26/07
Create Your Own Desktop June 22/07
Create Your Own Style June 8/07
Creating a Shared Document April 16/08
Creating an E-mail Signature April 25/08
Creating and Maintaining a Strong Password System Jan 29/08
Creating E-mail Folders Jan 25/08
Creating Watercolor Photos March 29/07
Crime Prevention for Mobile Workers July 25/08
Customize folder icons in Vista for extra fast location of files Jan 23/08
customize something you actually like to look at thats filled with the links you use regularly Jan 1/09
Customizing Your Fonts and Colors Feb 19/07
customize your homepage to meet your needs May 22/08
Customize Your Stripes Jan 7/08
(The) Dangers of ActiveX Feb 8/07
Daniel's Web Trends Blog Feb 15/08
Data disasters and how to prevent them April 25/08
Data Validation Sept 7/07
Dazzle Your E-mails May 24/07
Declutter your Digital Life August 4/07
DeepBurner Free Portable May 22/08
default setting to be Vista Feb 4/09
Desktopography website March 14/08
Device Manager Explained Jan 20/07
difference is between a flash drive and a thumb drive Oct 14/08
difference is between a hardware modem and a software modem Oct 14/08
difference between CDs and DVDs Nov 21/08
Difference Between Dreamweaver 8 and Dreamweaver CS3 Oct 22/07
Difference Between Flash and Shockwave March 14/08
difference between Virus, Trojan, and Worm
Digsby June 27/08
Document Lock Ups May 7/08
Does Your Security Suite Also Protect Your Privacy March 4/08
Done, but with errors on page. Dec 10/07
Don't Blink or You'll Miss It April 5/07
Double Space Every Time May 10/07
DownThemAll Oct 17/08
Download Hang Ups Nov 15/07
Downloading Music & Video to Your iPod Nov 12/07
Downloading YouTube Videos Feb 9/09
Dreamweaver Tutorials Jan 4/07
Drive Manager Jan 23/09
DriverMax Feb 2/07
DTIData NTFS Partition Recovery Tool April 30/08
DTV answers March 4/08
DTweak Free May 22/08
DUOtris May 3/08
DVD Parental Controls March 21/08
E-cards June 25/07
Elma: Browse Organize and Share May 16/08
e-mail background March 19/07
Email habits that make people hate you April 15/08
E-mail Maintenance July 6/07
E-mail Spoofing Feb 28/08
e-mail stationery June 14/08
Email Tracker Pro June 27/08
Easy Duplicate File Finder Oct 3/07
Effective ways to backup important data Feb 2/09
Embedding YouTube Videos October 1/07
encryption- what are they? Dec 3/07
Enso Map Anywhere May 8/08
EPrompter-an email checker Oct 15/08
Evernote for those of you who want to keep your ideas organized Feb 9/09
Explicit Permissions June 8/07
External Storage Solutions May 11/07
Envelope Addressing Feb 8/07
Envelopes and Labels with Pizzazz Oct 26/07
Even More Vista Tips April 19/07
Even More Yahoo! IM Features Nov 1/07
evolution of the tech language Jan 26/09
Explain what a bot is March 25/08
Explorer.exe Sept 7/07
Express Burn Free Dec 30/08
Extra Laptop Security May 23/07
fantastic freebies for your PC March 21/08
Faxing Oct 26/07
File Extentions August 20/07
Find and Run Robot Jan 23/09
Find Anybody's Email Address March 30/08
Find Somebody's Email Address by Searching the Web March 30/08
Find the Hidden Vista Screen Dec 21/07
Finding your Fonts July 25/07
Firefox Campus Edition August 31/07
Firefox Extensions April 15/08
Firefox OS April 4/07
Firefox 3 Hits Record: A Continuation June27/08
Firefox toolbar May 22/07
Firefox tricks May 14/07
Firewall Tests My 27/08
Firewall Basics July 9/07
Firewalls June 1/07
First Thing You Should Do When You Buy a New PC
Five Firefox Tricks Jan 18/08
Five More Vista Tips May 1/07
Fixing Your Flash Drive July 18/07
FixYa May 30/07
Flash Drive Manager May 4/07
Flip 3D Oct 11/07
Floppy Disk Maintenance Dec 5/07
Folder Guide Jan 25/08
Folder Tweaker Jan 25/2007
FontPage July 27/07
For Your Eyes Only Jan 18/08
Formatting Your USB Drives August 25/07
Forwarding E-mails Safely Dec 17/07
Foxmarks March 6/08
Free (And Legal!) Software Tools Feb 5/08
FreeCommander April 15/08
Free Font Generation Service Feb 20/09
Free Internet Eraser July 25/08
Free Internet Window Washer June 25/08
free online data storage March 21/08
Free Pocket PC Software Nov 21/08
Free software from Windows Aug 21/08
Free Utilities You've Never Heard Of April 26/07
Free Web-based alternatives to Photoshop June 6/08
Fresh Diagnose April 15/08
FuturixImager-editing image files Feb 4/09
Gadgets that make you seem artistic April 25/08
Gadwin Printscreen April 27/07
Gaffe-free e-mails March 6/07
GameGain -Website Dec 12/07
get creative with comics Nov 14/08
Get productive with Google Talk, Split Browser and Firefox April 23/07
Get Professional Flash with Incrediflash August 11/07
GetDiz April 7/08
getting rid of unused network icons Dec 11/08
Getting the Most Out of Your Webcam April 19/08
Getting your computer organized A to Z March 25/08
Gdrive from Google Dec 18/07
Giving It a Clean Boot Dec 20/08
Glossary of Internet Abbreviations Nov 14/08
Gmail Child Account May 8/07
Gmail Gets a To Do List Jan 26/09
Gmail icons Sept 22/07
Gmail secrurity tips Dec 9/08
Go By the Alphabet - Video Tip March 25/08
Going through airport security with electronic gadgets Dec 12/07
Going Wireless with Vista Nov 22/07
Google Alert August 20/07
GoogleAnon August 31/07
Google Calendar Sync April 19/08
Google Chrome Sept 5/08
Google Desktop: A Deeper Look May 22/08
Google docs and spreadsheets Oct 8/07
Google 411 April 19/07
Google SketchUp 3D Modeling Software August 18/07
Google Updater Sept 19/07
Google: You are who it says you are Feb 2/07
graphics at the end of their e-mails Feb 16/07
Greasemonkey June 8/07
Greasemonkey and Gmail June 9/07
Greasemonkey scripts March23/07
Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle March 26/07
Guide to Setting Up an Ergonomic Computer Station Feb 9/07
Handling Your Laptop with Care March 6/08
Hazard Shield Jan 23/08
HD View Feb 11/08
Help avoid computer viruses that spread through e-mail attachments August 25/07
Help grandkids download safely Aug 21/08
hidden features in Google Nov 6/07
Hidden Tricks in Vistas Explorer Jan 31/08
Hidden User Accounts May 31/07
Hidden XP Utilities Feb 9/07
hijack-what is it and what kinds are there? Sept 7/07
Hotmail sent to the Junk folder Jan 28/09
How can an iPod set your pants on fire -- literally Nov 3/07
How Reading an Email Can Compromise Your Privacy Jan 15/07
how search engines can track a lot of what you do when you're on your computer Dec 9/08
How to Add a Hard Drive to Your Computer Jan 27/07
How to avoid email bankuptcy June 1/07
How to become a google power user Dec 3/08
How to Boot to Windows XP Safe Mode Jan 18/08
How to buy a laptop Feb 20/08
How to care for you memory card Nov 10/07
How to Clean a DVD or CD Disc March 14/07
How To Clean A Flat Screen Monitor Oct 5/07
How to clean your keyboard Sept 19/07
How to Clean an LCD Screen Oct 22/07
How to Configure Popup Blocker Settings
How To Convert Video with Crunch for Windows Oct 29/07
How To Disable Autorun Sept 7/07
How to Disguise Your Email Address in Newsgroups, Forums, Blog Comments, Chat Sept 5/08
How to Do Everything in Mozilla Firefox June 22/07
How To Guides and Articles April 25/08
How Firewalls Work July 27/07
How Much Ink Is Left in That Dead Cartridge Nov 12/08
How To Clean-up Your Hard Drive Nov 24/08
How to forward emails properly!
how to install your brand new power supply Nov 17/07
How to make an internal hard drive external Dec 5/08
How to make Gmail and Gcal Rock your Tasks April 19/07
How to Reformat iPod Sept 22/07
How to Send Really Big Email Attachments
How to Split a Large Video File into Smaller Clips Feb 8/07
How to Stop Receiving Junk Mail
How to take screenshots like a pro June 6/08
How To Troubleshoot a PC That Won't Turn On May 11/07
HowTos Index Oct 10/08
Hot Spot Safety August 9/07
Hottest Gadgets For 2008 Jan 7/08
Hyperlink Mystery March 25/08
iClone EX Oct 10/08
Internet Explorer Addons May 22/07
IE 7 Tweak May 22/07
illegal downloading August 11/07
Important data backup strategies for your PC Oct 4/08
Improve your hunched over the pc posture Feb 3/08
Increase Your Printers Lifespan August 25/07
Installing an XP Printer Feb 13/07
installing a new program on your computer April 19/08
Installing an Old Printer in Vista Dec 9/08
Installing software in Window Vista Jan 31/08
Installing Vista-last minute tips Feb 14/07
instaSaver May 3/08
Interesting iPod Facts Jan 8/2007
(The) Internet and TiVo March 15/07
internet tools to help make yourself happier. Feb 3/08
interruption free music! March 14/08
Introducing IE 8s New Features March 30/08
Introduction to popular netbooks Feb 3/09
iPod problems fixed Sept 11/08
Is anyone else reading your email
Is This Email Story For Real Sept 20/08
Its Phishing Time May 24/07
Jalbum Jan 28/09
JPEG Compression Basics Feb 14/07
Keep It Clean April 5/07
Keep It Regular April 4/07
Keep your computer up and functioning February 1/07
Keep Your Drivers Updated August 22/07
keeping my playlists organized Jan 8/2007
Keyboard Menu Magic Feb 7/07
Keys on the Computer Keyboard Aren't Working
Kicking The Computer Game Habit July 27/07
Know Your Hardware March 2/07
Laptop Battery Basics Sept 22/07
Laptop Computer Maintenance Tips
LaptopLock Nov 1/07
Last Known Good Configuration August 15/07
LCD Zooming Jan 30/07
Learn Dreamweaver March 1/08
LePreventing AutoRun Attacks From Malicious CDs April 7/08
Lets Digg! June 18/07
Link Alert April 25/08
Linked In -a website for building relationships Oct 14/08
Linux Replacements for Your Favorite Windows Apps April 19/08
Liquidation and Clearance Pricing Scams Jan 30/09
Little Ease of Access: The Keyboard Way March 14/08
Little Internet Shorthand Oct 26/07
Little About Router Safety Sept 11/08
Locating Web Sites That Have Moved June 19/08
Log In Dos and Don'ts Feb 20/08
Lost Documents August 15/07
Lost E-mail Addresses June 19/08
make art out of characters with a font Oct 4/08
Make your Idle Computer Work for you
make your own icons June 25/08
Make Your Software Do More March 4/08
Manage your email like an expert June 2/08
Maximize Laptop Battery Performance
Maxthon Browser Sept 11/07
Memory Cards: Fake vs. Real Sept 26/07
Messenger Gadget June 28/07
Methods for Network File Transfer Between PCs Jan 5/09
Microsoft Reader Jan 15/07
Migratr Dec 13/08
mistakes we all make in accordance to e-mail security Nov 27/08
Mix and Match Labels Feb 16/07
Modifying Visual Effects April 10/07
MojoPac Freedom Oct 17/07
Monitor your online reputation Oct 22/08
More About Router Safety April 7/08
More Colors for Your SmartArt April 7/08
More laptop traveling tips Sept 22/07
More on Accents Dec 17/07
More on .DLL Files July 5/07
More Opera tricks June9/07
More Vista Questions Answered Feb 27/07
More Vista Tips Nov 8/07
most common e-mail mistakes May 10/08
Most Popular Downloads Jan 4/08
Most Popular Email Tips, Tricks and Secrets March 30/08
Most Popular Outlook Tips, Tricks and Tutorials Jan 7/08
Mouseless Right Click June 14/07
Mousepad Clean Up March 24/08
Movie Organizer May 4/07
MSN Messenger March 26/07
Multiple Monitors March 21/08
myLot Community September 4/07
Navigation Shortcuts for MS Word: The Scroll Bar April 30/07
Need a Little Backup April 16/08
netRocket -a website Feb 2/09
Never-Ending Workday Jan 11/08
New CCleaner Dec 3/07
Net Commandments Sept 28/07
New E-mail Program: 30Gigs May 3/07
New Firefox Extension: Personas Feb 25/08
New Ransomware on the Loose June 23/08
Newsletter Reader July 22/08
No More Computer Snoops July 25/07
No Virus Thanks-virus removal scanner Nov 18/08
Norton Removal Tool March 2/07
October Security Update Oct 11/07
Office 2007 Feb 3/07
Online Music Update Sept 22/07
OpenOffice.org Sept 30/08
Opera! May 27/08
Opera Web browser March 29/07
Organize your documents online April 30/07
Organizing your "Favorites" with Explorer 7 Jan 22/07
Outlook Express Security May 22/08
Overcoming Micro Addictions Sept 26/08
P2P File Sharing Sites June 25/08
Paint Net Dec 30/08
PalTalkScene Oct 17/08
ParentalControl Bar Nov 17/07
parental controls in Windows Vista August 31/07
PasswordBird April 19/08
Password Meter helps you test your passwords Dec 11/08
PC Cooling May 11/07
PC Decrapifier July 27/07
PC on Hold Nov 3/07
PC Wizard Feb 8/08
PC Worlds 30 Most Popular Stories of 2007 Jan 4/08
Phishing Attacks: The Next Generation Sept 7/07
Photo Gallery feature that comes with Windows Vista July 5/07
PhotoRescue Wizard Dec 13/08
Photography Jargon Buster May 8/07
Photo Sharing Made Simple Nov 13/07
Photoshop Lady Website Sept 5/08
Photoshops Selection Tool April 18/07
Picasa-graphic software appl Aug 4/08
Pictures in Line With Text Oct 31/08
Picture Perfect Envelopes Nov 8/07
Pidgin Nov 17/07
Pitaschio May 3/08
Places to find top notch virtual assistant Jan 1/09
Podiobooks March 23/07
Popup Descriptions Jan 12/07
Porta Jan 28/09
Powerful sales concepts for blogging success June 1/07
PowerPoint Key Combinations Sept 22/07
Power Supply Nov 15/07
Power tips to utilize your firefox bookmarks Nov 27/08
Power Up Your Quick Launch May 24/08
Prepare Your Hard Drive For Disposal Jan 5/09
Prevent Data Loss May 11/07
Prevent your computer from being stolen Nov 1/07
Preventing AutoRun Attacks From Malicious CDs April 7/08
Prevy.com Nov 8/07
Printer Buying Guide Nov 22/07
Printer Functionality Feb 8/07
Printing a Webpage Feb 2/07
privacy and security options in Windows Vista July 22/08
Productivity Web Sites June 22/07
Products and Services off the Beaten Path Oct 23/07
Product Tips & Reviews Oct 26/07
products to keep your system gunk free. Feb 14/07
Project Playlist August 31/07
Promising New Web Sites and Services Sept 26/08
pros and cons for Google Chrome Sept 26/08
Put Junk E-Mail in Its Place Jan 15/07
Put the Taskbar on Top Jan 31/08
Put Your Shields Up June 14/07
Quick Click Customization June 6/08
QuickMonth Calendar April 16/08
Quick Vista Tips Nov 6/07
QuickTime Basics Jan 16/07
Rainlendar Lite April 25/08
ReachBy May 3/08
Recovering Data From Your Memory Card Dec 12/07
Recovery Console Commands Sept 28/07
Recycle Bin Storage June 6/07
Recycle Your Old Computer May 14/07
Reduce the energy consumption of your computer and save big money April 19/08
Reduce Eye Strain at Your Computer Feb 19/07
Refurbished Desktop and Laptop Computers Aug 15/08
RegToy June 2/08
Related HowStuffWorks Articles On Computers Jan 27/07
Reliability Monitor in Windows Vista July 30/07
Remember Passwords Oct 9/07
Remime June 6/08
Remove It Permanently Dec 10/07
remove some programs from my computer July 21/07
remove your password Apreil 16/08
Removing Adware From Your PC Dec 3/07
Rename Your Files: Bulk Style March 29/07
Replacing Your iPods Battery Jan 28/08
Resetting a Frozen iPod Sept 22/07
Resetting Internet Explorer Dec 13/08
Resetting Your XP Password Jan 29/08
Resize Your Vista Partitions Sept 14/07
Revive Your PC Jan 30/09
Revo Uninstaller Portable Sept 9/08
(The) Right Social Network for You March 4/08
RocketDock Feb 25/08
Roxios Complete Guide to Choosing the Right CD & DVD Media July 2/07
Run Linux Feb 2/07
safe online shopping Nov 10/07
Safety on Communal Websites March 2/07
Same Information, Many Cells May 27/08
Save My Addresses Alone! April 7/08
Save Your Data With One of These Top Backup Programs Aug 4/08
Saving Energy With Your Computer Nov 17/07
Say it with Pizzazz May 16/07
Scanit Browser Test April 26/07
SeaMonkey June 8/07
SeaMonkey extensions and themes June 22/07
Safaris features in Firefox June 28/07
Save Money on your Monthly Technology Bill Dec 23/08
Scrub Up Your Vista June 2/08
search by error Dec 9/08
Search Engines March 15/07
Search Google Like An Expert March 14/07
Searching Effectively with Google June 22/07
Searching in Vista May 3/07
second hard drive on hand July 18/07
Secunia PSI May 24/08
Secunia Update Advisor March 1/07
Secure Home Computer Jan 15/07
Secure Login Sept 9/08
Securely Using Public Computers March 30/08
Securing Your E-mail Jan 8/09
Securing Windows XP Home Edition
Security Alert: Attention All AIM Users Oct 5/07
Security Threats In VoIP Sept 7/07
Security tips foryou Windows PC Nov 14/08
Security Updates Jan 10/07
See Your Pictures First April 4/07
Sending Large Files Sept 28/07
Service Pack for Vista: Yes or No May 25/07
Session Expired Oct 26/07
Set Program Access and Defaults. Jan 26/09
SG TCP Optimizer Dec 3/07
Shareware and Freeware Programs Every Nerd Needs March 23/07
Sharing Folders in Vista: The XP Way March 4/08
Should I get a new computer or not July 21/07
Should I leave my computer on all the time, or turn it off
should I buy a new computer or not Oct 4/08
Shrink Long URL May 5/07
Shrink Pic Oct 10/08
Shut Down on your Windows machine Dec 3/07
Shutdown shortcuts for Win XP Nov 17/07
Signs of Malware Oct 22/08
Sites for Free Adobe Lightroom Presets Jan 26/09
Sites to Find and Watch TV and Movies Online Nov 14/08
Snap March 31/07
Sneak Peek April 25/08
Social Media Four" September 4/07
Software Tools to Speed Up Your Day May 8/08
Spam Gourmet program June 23/08
Spam: In Alphabetical Order Jan 23/09
Spam Proof Email Link April 19/08
Speed Dial feature with Opera Web browser June 30/08
speed up DSL Internet connection July 6/07
Speed Up Those Drives Dec 29/07
Speed Up Your Vista Searches Dec 18/07
SpeeDoCrop Mach 14/07
Spend less on your computer May 9/07
Spring Cleaning Utilities for your PC Jan 15/07
Spyware, adware, trackware July 27/07
StarOffice April 7/08
Start podcasting Dec 11/08
Staying Extra Safe Dec 17/07
Steganography: Hiding Your Messages Jan 8/09
Step by Step Guide to Finding Someone on the Web Feb 20/09
Stop forgetting to send greeting cards Feb 16/07
Stop That Clicking Sound Jan 14/08
Strategies for Conserving Battery Power August 25/07
Stupid Flash Tricks Nov 26/07
Subnotebook Computers Aug 29/08
suggestions for being media-savvy parents April 30/08
SystemExplorer March 30/08
System Restore July 18/07
Taskbar Repair Tool Plus! June 6/08
Techniques to Find Less Expensive Computers Aug 15/08
Technology Tips April 19/07
10 dumb things users do that can mess up their computer
Ten New Vista Tips April 14/07
Text Stripper Site Oct 11/07
Things they don't want you to know
The Ultimate Tech Consumer Guide
Thingamablog April 25/08
Things they don't want you to know
Thunderbird Addons May 22/07
Thunderbird 2 April 14/07
Tiles backgrounds designer July 22/08
Time For a New Computer? April 30/08
Time to Reset June 14/08
Tiny Mail Me -protector Sept 20/08
Tips and tutorials for Vista March 19/07
Tips for Computer and Internet August 20/07
Tips for Using the Internet: Guidelines for School Leaders and Parents June 28/07
Tips for writing effective emails Nov 24/08
Tired of Searching April 10/08
To BCC or not April 27/07
Toolbar Reset Nov 1/07
Tools to make your iPod Better May 22/07
Top 40 sites according to FeedBurner stats March 31/07
Top Social Networking Sites For General, Niche and International Interest Feb 20/09
Top 10 Downloads For February 2007 Feb 10/07
Tracing the Path May 24/08
Transferring LPs and Cassettes to Disc with Easy Media Creator 9 April 27/07
Travel With Your Backups March 22/07
traveling with your electronic devices is the airport security line Dec 3/08
tricks I can do with my iPod March 30/08
Trillian Basic-brings together all your messenging services Oct 15/08
Trimming the Vista Border July 30/07
troubleshooting tips for video cards Dec 21/07
Turbo Photo Dec 9/08
Turbocharge your emails June 19/08
Turn yahoo mail inot storage Feb 11/08
Twango June 154/07
20_Things_They_Dont_Want_you_To_Know
Two New Vista Tips May 12/07
ULCPCs: What Are They Apreil 16/08
Ultimate Searching Experience: Exalead Sept 7/07
Ultimate Word Keyboard Shortcut List Dec 21/07
UltraExplorer April 6/07
UltraShredder website March 25/08
Understanding HijackThis April 17/07
Understanding Virtual Memory and RAM
Understanding your new keyboard Oct 11/07
Undo the Dual Boot July 5/07
Unlocker May 3/08
Unnecessary Features in Vista Jan 14/08
Universal Viewer March 31/07
Unmask Your Passwords Feb 16/07
unused network icons March 14/08
Update on Trillian July 2/07
USB Limits Oct 8/07
Useful Desktop Shortcuts That Help You Save Time Feb 10/07
Useful free software for Mac Nov 6/08
User Switching in XP Jan 7/08
Uses For The Windows Key May 31/07
Using Artistic Filters March 14/07
Using Twitter Dec 23/08
Using Vistas Cursors Sept 11/07
Vacation Replies June 6/08
VisiPics -finds duplilcate music or photos Feb 4/09
Video Downloader March 23/07
Video games and frugality Jan 23/08
VirusTotal Uploader Jan 31/08
Vista: A Double Dose Oct 5/07
Vista Diagnostics Sept 22/07
Vista Double Feature June 14/07
Vista DreamScene May 22/08
Vista Event Viewer Oct 29/07
Vista FAQs Jan 30/07
Vista Gadgets Feb 20/07
Vista Mail March 31/07
Vista Recovery Disc May 7/08
Vistas ReadyBoost Nov 1/07
Vista Time Limit Controls Feb 22/07
Vista Times Two Jan 18/08
Visual Ergonomics in the Office
VMManager March 10/08
Vulnerabilities for March 2007 March 29/07
Ways to Keep Your PC Cool Aug 4/08
Ways to rock the keyboard May 25/07
Ways to Show Emotion on IM Nov 14/08
Ways to use Gmail Filters May 31/07
Waxmail April 23/07
Web based e-mail program April 18/07
Web Browser Add-on of the Day Feb 15/08
Web counters July 22/08
Web site certificates Nov 3/07
WGA for Vista Jan 22/08
What Computer Should I Buy August 31/07
What Does Your Ringtone Say About You Jan 15/07
What is that font Jan 30/09
What exactly is a hijack May 17/07
What is a social network Jan 4/08
What is FireShot Nov 17/07
What is highjack Nov 24/08
What is swappable June 2/08
What's the deal between Windows XP and Vista Dec 5/07
What the font website Jan 29/08
Wheel Mouse Tricks - Video Tip Oct 1/07
When You Run Out of Space on C: Drive..
Who's Behind Your Keyboard Nov 8/07
Win Explorer Tips May 10/08
Winamp Full Oct 22/08
Winamp Toolbar March 1/08
Windows Calendar June 25/08
Windows Defender July 18/07
Windows Explorer April 6/07
Windows Media Bonus Pack Feb 8/07
Windows SteadyState Sept 7/07
Windows Updates Dec 23/08
Windows Vista Battery Saver March 21/08
Windows Vista E-mail Oct 5/07
Windows Vista Preview Pane August 15/07
Windows XP Services Jan 25/2007
WindVis July 14/07
WinPatrol 2007 Feb 8/08
Wireless Network Dec 21/07
Wise Registry Cleaner Nov 27/08
Word Highlighter Jan 24/07
Working With Multiple Files Simultaneously June 1/07
Working with Windows Defender August 29/07
Worm Infects 9 Million Computers Jan 23/09
WOT Sept 9/08
Xdrive Online Storage March 1/07
Xippee June 2/08
Yahoo! Photo Mail March 2/07
Zink Nov 1/07
ZoomIt Oct 26/07
By Jennifer Kyrnin, About.com
See More About:
YourFonts.com
Screen shot by J Kyrnin
YourFonts.com is a free service that allows you to create your own fonts. You can create a sample of your own handwriting in just a few minutes. The fonts you create are copyrighted by you and you can use them in any program you own or create custom banners for your websites.
Easy to Use
YourFonts.com is very easy to use. In fact, the hardest thing about it for me was writing my letters so that I liked them. I filled in the template 3 times before I was satisfied. And even after that I had to resubmit it twice.
Be Sure to Read the Instructions
Fill in the template with your new font, scan it in and upload the picture to YourFonts.com
Template for J Kyrnin
Seems very straightforward, but be sure to read all the instructions before you start. I did read them, but then got caught by a few anyway, such as:
I used both a ball point and a gel pen to create my font. I recommend using a gel pen. The weight of the font is heavier, but you get a more reliably solid line in the box.
Be sure to follow the instructions regarding the guide marks for the fonts. Don't print the template and just start writing.
There is no mention (that I could find) of the 5MB limit for your template.
It accepts PNG, but when I started with PNG files, I was getting gigantic scans, that hit their 5MB limit.
Don't forget to change the copyright notice from "YourName" to your actual name. I didn't fall for this, but I'm sure some people might.
The image must be between 1000 and 4000 pixels wide and 1000 and 5000 high. Larger or smaller won't work.
If you get all that done right, it just takes a few minutes to create your font.
Use Your Font Anywhere
What's really nice about YourFonts.com is that it's so quick. Just a few minutes after I had uploaded my template file, I was downloading a TTF file of my font.
Because it's a TTF file I can use it anywhere. It shows up in all my applications that use fonts, from Photoshop and Dreamweaver to Evernote and TextEdit. I tried it on my Windows machine and it worked fine.
You Could Become a Type Designer
Jenn's Font - the font I made in YourFonts.com saved as a TrueType file and loaded into my Font Book.
Font copyright J Kyrnin
Since you can create as many fonts as you like, you could create a handwriting font and a printing font of your own handwriting. You could create new fonts all your own. There are even glyphs for accented characters if you want to create a font that includes more than basic characters.
I’m really excited about sharing this Web site with you! My mom sent it to me after she used it to create a signature she could use for her work e-mails. I recommend starting with the Quick Tour.
The Quick Tour will not only walk you through the whole process, but it will also explain all the different ways you can make your signature. You'll want to get a static signature, because they’re free! (Only the static ones created from the wizard or with the draw tool are free).
To get started making your signature, click on Start Now. You’ll then need to choose whether you want to use the wizard or the draw tool. I recommend using the wizard, because it was a lot more fun to select a font that matches my hand writing than to draw a deformed version of my signature with the mouse.
To use the wizard, click on the Create Signature button underneath the text that says “Create a new signature using our wizard.” That will lead you to a page where you’ll be presented with three options: wizard, draw or upload. You'll want to select the wizard, which is the first option.
After selecting the wizard tool, you’ll be asked to type in the name or nickname you’d like to use for your signature. I put in Amanda @ WorldStart.com, which is how I sign my e-mails. In the next step, you’ll select which font you want to use. There are around 120 different fonts you can choose from and they may take a minute or tow to load. Click on the bullet of the font you want to use and then click on the Next button at the bottom of the page.
The next step is to select the size you want your signature to be. I like mine rather small, so I selected size 2. There are ten different sizes to pick from, so you’ll have plenty of options. Click on the Next button to continue. Here you'll select the color of the font you want to use for your signature. There are ten different colors to choose from. Next, you can set the slope of your signature. There are ten different slopes to choose from as well. You’re finally finished!
Take the code they give you for your signature (signature ID) and copy it. Then paste it on the Start Now page under the Download a Signature heading. The other thing you can do with the signature ID is paste it under the Generate a Code section. That will give you a choice between an HTML code and a BB code. If you want to use it on a forum, choose the BB code. If you want to use it on a Web page, choose the HTML code.
Now, you have a personalized signature all your very own. Yes!
http://www.mylivesignature.com/
~ Amanda
Like this Web site? Not so
much? Tell us how you feel by rating it right here:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/5382
By Daniel Nations, About.com
MySpace is at the center of the social networking explosion. (Image of MySpace)
Social networking websites have been around since the mid-90's, but in recent years, social networking has exploded across the web. The Web 2.0 initiative has made modern social networking sites increasingly popular and easier to use than the initial wave of sites that launched in the 90's.
The top social networking websites is divided into three categories: General purpose, niche sites with a specific theme, and international sites.
Top Social Networking Sites - General Interest
· MySpace: Started in 2003, MySpace was a driving force in popularizing social networking and still maintains a large userbase.
· Facebook: Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook was designed as a social networking site for Harvard students. After spreading from Harvard through the university ranks and down into high school, Facebook was opened to the public in 2006.
· Hi5: A fast-growing social network with a strong base in Central America, Hi5 has over fifty million users worldwide.
· Ning: A social network for creating social networks, Ning takes the idea of groups to a whole new level.
More social networking sites of general interest
Top Social Networking Sites - Niche Sites
· Flixster: With a tagline of "stop watching bad movies," Flixster combines social networking with movie reviews.
· Last.fm: Billing itself as a social music site, Last.fm allows members to create their own radio station that learns what the person likes and suggests new music based on those interests. In addition to this, you can listen to the radio stations of friends and other Last.fm members.
· LinkedIn: A business-oriented social network, members invite people to be "connections" instead of "friends." Linkedin is a contact management system as well as a social network, and has a question-and-answer section similar to Yahoo! Answers.
· Xanga: A social blogging site that combines social networking elements with blogging. Members earn credits for participating in the site and can spend credits on various things such as buying mini-pictures to post in the comments of a friend's blog.
More niche social networking sites
Top Social Networking Sites - International Sites
· Badoo: Based in London, Badoo is one of the top social networking sites in Europe.
· Migente: A social networking site targeted at Latin America.
· Orkut: Originally created by Google to compete with MySpace and Facebook, it has mainly caught hold in Brazil.
· Studivz: A German version of Facebook with a strong audience in students.
More international social networking sites
By Wendy Boswell, About.com
Need to find someone? Here's a step by step guide to finding someone on the Web using tools and services that are designed to find people online.
In order to get the most out of this guide, I suggest you do the following:
· Have an open Word document or Notepad tab handy to keep track of your information.
· Put together as much information as you have on the person you're looking for.
· Use these search tools and sites in order; I've listed them so you should be able to find information better this way.
Ready? Let's get going!
The first place you'll want to go when trying to find someone online is Zabasearch. Type the person's full name into the search field, and see what comes up.
You most likely will get a lot of information here, but do not pay for information. If you see something that asks you to pay, disregard. You'll be able to obtain a good amount of absolutely free information here on the person you are looking for - or at least enough to keep going.
Once you have your information, copy and paste it to a Word document or Notepad file for easy access, and keep on going to the next step in this list.
In order to find someone on the Web, you're going to need all your sleuthing skills - very rarely does all the information you're looking for come to you in one search. That's where Google comes in. You can use this article on Google People Search to find someone online.
For instance, merely typing the person's full name in quotations - "John Smith" - into Google's search field can potentially yield quite a few favorable results. If you know where the person lives - "John Smith" Atlanta - you'll get even more results. How about where the person works? "John Smith" "coca-cola" Atlanta.
Once you've gone as far as you can go with Google People Search, copy and paste your information onto your research file, and go on to the next step.
More about Google People Search
Facebook is one of the largest social sites on the Web - and there is a very good chance that the person you are looking for has a profile there.
If you have the full name of the person you're looking for, you can use that to find them on Facebook. You can also find someone on Facebook by using their email address, if you have it. Or, you can type in the name of the high school, college, or company that the person you're looking for is affiliated with.
Once you've searched around in Facebook, add that information to your research file, and move on to the next step in Find Someone Online.
Pipl is a people-specific search engine that gives you information that's a bit different than what you'll find using Google or Yahoo, because it searches the invisible Web, otherwise known as the information that's not readily accessible in a cursory Web search.
Type in the person's name that you're looking for in the Pipl search box, and see what you come up with. Once you have the information you're looking for, add it to your Find Someone research file (which should be filling up quite nicely by now!) and go on to the next step.
Find someone with Wink, a people search engine that focuses not only on traditional search engine results, but social community profiles as well. Type as much as you can into Wink's search boxes: full name, location, etc., and see what you can come up with.
Once you have the information you're looking for, add it to your research file and let's keep going!
6. Find Someone at Yahoo, AOL, Ask, or Other Search Engines
If you want to search a whole bunch of search engines quickly, I highly recommend using Firefox's built in capability to add more search engines to the search bar. You can find more information here: Add Search Engines to Your Firefox Toolbar.
After you add the search engines you want, you can find someone simply by putting their name in quotes in your Firefox search bar and clicking on the search engine you want to use from the drop-down menu.
Once you search for your person in a few search engines, copy and paste your information to your rapidly growing Find Someone research papers, and let's keep going.
More information about other search engines
7. Find Someone with Public Records
If you want to find someone online, one of these resources in the Top Ten Public Records Sources is sure to help you.
These are some of the best free public record search databases online, from obituaries to census records. Note: Depending on the state or country that you live in, you might not be able to access more personal public records, such as birth certificates, drivers' licenses, marriage certificates, etc., without A)showing physical proof of identification or B)paying a fee.
Once you've gone as far as you can go with public records (remember, I advise you NOT to pay for information - get much as you can get for free and move on!), let's keep going to the next step in finding someone online.
Spock is a uniquely formatted search engine that focuses only on people and information about people. You can use Spock to find someone online; just enter in what you know about the person and you're on your way. Try a full name, email, name and location to get started at Spock.
ZoomInfo takes searching for people on the Web to a whole new level; by using a combination of various technologies to crawl the Web (Web sites, press releases, electronic news services, SEC filings, etc.), ZoomInfo organizes all the information about people into a readable, sensible format - profiles that can also be searched within ZoomInfo by corporate headhunters.
Type in who you're looking for into ZoomInfo and you'll potentially come back with a lot of information that leads to other information: i.e., links that show you where else that person is on the Web (that's IF they have a presence online. If the person you are looking for doesn't get on the Web much, this isn't going to do you much good.).
If the person you're looking for has done anything on the Web, PeekYou should be able to pick it up.
For example,Peekyou enables you to search for usernames across a variety of social networking communities. For instance: say you would like to learn more about the person who uses the handle "I-Love-Kittens"; you can use PeekYou to see what else they might be doing on the Web under that username (most people use the same username across many different Web services, so you could potentially hit some major paydirt here!).
Add your PeekYou information to your ever-growing dossier, and let's keep moving on.
Need to find someone? Here's a step by step guide to finding someone on the Web using tools and services that are designed to find people online.
In order to get the most out of this guide, I suggest you do the following:
· Have an open Word document or Notepad tab handy to keep track of your information.
· Put together as much information as you have on the person you're looking for.
· Use these search tools and sites in order; I've listed them so you should be able to find information better this way.
Ready? Let's get going!
If you know your person's email address, username at various forums, message boards, social communities, etc., first and last name or phone number, type this information into YoName's search box and see what comes up.
YoName will search across six different social communities (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Yahoo 360, and Friendster) to find what you're looking for.
If you know the person's name that you're looking for, type it into the LinkedIn search box and you'll get information such as current job, professional affiliations, and more.
If you're lucky, you'll be able to find a LOT of information on LinkedIn, and you'll be able to use that information in turn to keep going in your people search. Every little bit counts, so add it to your research file and keep going.
If you have an email address, a person's name, or a username, you are sure to hit some major paydirt with Spokeo, a people search engine that searches across forty different social networks.
Once you have found someone, you can keep track of what they're doing on these different social networks with Spokeo as well - which should save you some serious time.
14. Find Someone with 123People
123People is a people search engine that gives you a smorgasbord of information from all over the Web: links, documents, videos, email addresses, phone numbers, social networks, and a lot more.
Simply type your person's name into the 123People's search box and see what you can come up with; again, like I've mentioned before, if the person you're looking for is not active on the Web, you won't be able to find much information here. Then again, if they have ANY sort of activity online, you should be able to find it with 123People or any of the other search tools mentioned in this article.
If you have an address, you can find out a lot about your person's home at Zillow. Just type in an address, a general area, or a zip code, and Zillow will return a whole plethora of real estate information about your query.
In addition, you'll also be able to see how much that person's house has been valued at, houses in the surrounding areas, local resources, and more.
Flickr, a digital photo sharing site, is a great place to find someone because of two things: you can search for your person by their name or their username (if you know it), and you can search for your person via tags, since Flickr is largely organized by tags (content labels).
Try a quick search in Flickr and see what you come up with; it's not the best tool on this list but it certainly is worth a quick search when you're trying to find someone.
17. Find Someone with Google Blog Search
You can use Google Blog Search to find mentions of the person you're looking for in blogs all over the Web. Simply type in your person's name for a quick search. You can expand your search by checking out the Advanced Search page.
iSearch is a people search engine that you can use to find someone by name, by screen name, by phone, by company, or by school.
Type in the name of the person you're looking for, preferably with their location, and you'll get professional information, public records, social network results, White Pages, email, news, and blogs. In other words, potentially a lot of very useful information.
19. Find Someone with CVGadget
CVGadget returns results on the person you're looking for from about a dozen different places on the Web; you can expand and collapse these results to see your information.
20. Find Former Military Personnel
Finding former military personnel can be tricky. You can use this resource from the London US Embassy as well to find who you're looking for; information is available for both active and former military personnel.
More about finding former military personnel
a-Squared HiJackFree
Version: 3.1.0.19
File Size: 1719KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows 2000, XP,
Vista;
Windows Server 2003, 2008
No matter how much anti-spyware protection you've got on your PC,
it's not enough. Spyware is notorious for being able to slip through the cracks
of anti-malware software, and you're best off if you have more than one anti-malware
tool on your PC. That's where this freebie comes in. Use it as a backup to your
main anti-spyware program for extra protection.
--Preston Gralla
Read more and download this software:
a-Squared HiJackFree
Runscanner
Version: 1.8
File Size: 1925KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows XP,
Vista
Run Runscanner, and it does a quick scan of your system for more
than 100 hijack locations and similar potential problems. Depending on whether
you run it in Expert or Beginner mode, it then shows you the results and has a
tool for killing the potential infection (advanced mode), or else creates log
files that you can upload to forums where people will analyze your logs and let
you know if you might have any problems.
--Preston Gralla
Read more and download this software:
Runscanner
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
Now that you've told us what to look out for in a faulty power supply and how to go about replacing it, can you please tell us how to install a new one? That's the only thing you haven't covered yet. Thanks for all your help with this!
A:
Of
course I will! As promised in yesterday's newsletter, I will tell you exactly
how to install your brand new power supply. Now, if you're just tuning in,
you'll want to refer back to yesterday's (February 9, 2009) Q&A tip to get
caught up on what we're talking about, but here's a quick rundown for you. In
that tip, we went over a couple things you can check on to make sure your power
supply really is "dead" before you go out and buy a whole new one. We also
discussed how to remove the power supply from your computer case and we talked
about what to look for when shopping for a new unit. Whew!
So, all that's left now is actually installing your new power supply and that's exactly what we're going to cover today. I know most of you are probably at different stages in this process and that's fine. I mean, some of you may have already gone out and purchased a new power supply, some of you may still be researching which one you'd like to get and the rest of you may just be reading through this information for future reference. Either way, you can print this tip out or save it to your computer and that way, you'll have it whenever you need it. That's the beauty of this newsletter! Okay, so what do you say we get started? Let's go!
Once you have your sparkling new power supply, double check one more time that all the power around your computer is turned off. You don't want any power running through your system when trying to install a new piece of hardware. Otherwise, you may get the shock of your life! When you're ready, take the screws you saved when you removed your old power supply and use them to secure your new one into place. It should fit perfectly into the spot where your old one used to sit. When you're done with that, go ahead and follow these steps:
1.) First, find the ATX power connector on your new power supply and plug it into your motherboard's receptacle. Make sure it's plugged in tightly as well.
2.) Next, take the rest of the power connectors and plug them into your hard drive, CD ROM drive and any other components that may need to be hooked up to the power supply. That just depends on how many devices you have along with your computer. Just make sure they're all firmly plugged in and then move on to the next step.
3.) Once you have everything hooked up, take a look around and make sure there are no unused power connectors just hanging there. If you just leave them there, they could eventually touch a fan or the heat sink and that could be bad news! If you don't need them for anything, you can tie them up with a rubber band and put them in a safe spot, away from any of the other components.
4.) Now, you can put your computer case back together! Just slide the panel back on and screw it into place.
5.) You can reconnect your monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.
6.) Next, flip the On/Off switch on the back of your power supply to the On position.
7.) Finally, plug the power cable on the back of your power supply to the wall socket or your power strip.
That's it! You have now installed your very own power supply. I'm so proud of you! You can now start up your computer and experience what it's like to have a nice, quiet fan. No more awful noises coming from your computer. Oh yeah!
~ Erin
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http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm
Q:
In the past, you've given us some
suggestions on how to
prevent
computer theft, but what if it's already happened? What are we supposed to
do if our computers are stolen? It hasn't happened to me, but I did have a
friend who had their laptop taken from them and I'd just like to know what we're
supposed to do in that kind of situation. Please share any tips you may have!
A:
There's nothing like being prepared and that's exactly what you're doing for
yourself by asking this question, so I give props to you! Yes, we have written
tips on how you can prevent your computer from being stolen, but we've never
really gone into any detail about what you should do when it happens. So, let's
go over that today! Also, keep in mind that this is for both laptop and desktop
computer owners. Remember that theft can happen to anyone, no matter what type
of computer you have. Okay, let's get started!
If you've ever had your computer stolen, you know how stressful it can be. It's always an unfortunate thing, but there are some things you can do to fight it. These are things every computer user should know, so even if it's never happened to you, it's a good idea to keep these things in mind. I really hope it never happens to any of you, but like I said before, there's nothing like being prepared just in case. Below are a few suggestions on what you should do if your computer is taken from you. Let's take a look!
1.) Contact the Authorities - As with any other crime, computer theft should be reported to your local authorities as soon as possible. If your computer was taken from your home, you should report a burglary so that a statement can be written up about your missing property. The sooner you do that, the easier it might be to find your computer and get it back to you. Also, if your computer is stolen, you'll probably want to put an insurance claim on it and insurance companies always ask for a police report, so you'll just be saving yourself some time in the end.
Now, what if you have your laptop with you outside of your home and it's taken from you? What do you do then? Well, for example, if your laptop is stolen while you're at the airport, always notify the airport security about the situation. They'll be able to write up an incident report for you there and then get the police involved if need be. Or, maybe you take your laptop to work with you. In that case, it's always possible that one of your fellow employees will take it. If that happens, you should contact one of your superiors or even the human resources department. They should be able to help you in that type of situation. No matter where it happens, always contact a superior and they should be able to help you get things straightened out.
2.) Always Protect Yourself - After contacting the authorities, you should then worry about protecting the information that was on your computer. To do that, you'll need to be on a computer, so if you can, use a friend's computer, go to the library, a school or just any place that has an available computer with Internet access. Once you've found a PC to use, you should do the following:
3.) Getting It Back - Once you've taken care of everything else, you can then think about getting your computer back. You'll definitely need your computer's serial and model numbers, so if you don't have that information written down, contact the manufacturer and they should be able to get it for you. You should then give that information to your local authorities as well. That way, if they happen to find your computer, they'll know exactly what to look for and they can easily contact you about it.
You can also try leaving some of your "not so sensitive" accounts open to see if any activity occurs on them. For example, a MySpace account, a Facebook account, a Flickr account, a YouTube account, etc. If you log in to those accounts from another computer, you'll be able to see if anyone else has been using them. If you do notice some activity, that may help in identifying the thief. You should also keep an eye out at local pawn shops and even in the newspaper want ads to see if the thief is trying to sell your computer. You can even try placing an ad in the newspaper for a lost computer. Make sure you describe your computer the best you can and include its serial number. You may even want to offer a reward if it's found. One last thing you can do is visit Web sites like www.stolencomputers.org. Their main purpose is to list and find stolen computers, so they may be able to help you out as well.
Hopefully some of these suggestions will help those of you who have gone through the awful experience of computer theft, as well as, preparing the rest of you just in case it ever does become reality. Stay safe!
~ Erin
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As you may recall, a few days ago, we covered downloading YouTube videos using a service called KeepVid. Well, today, I'm going to make downloading YouTube videos even easier! By using a bookmarklet, you can download videos right from YouTube, with no need to go to another Web site. The videos are saved in an MP4 format, which is perfect for iPods and Sony PSPs. I'm telling you, saving videos has never been more simple. Let's take a look and see what we've got, shall we?!
If you’re not familiar with bookmarklets, it might help to read this article before continuing with this tip.
1.) Once you have the Links
bar enabled, simply drag or right click and add the following link to your
Favorites:
Get YouTube Video.
2.) Next, head on over to a YouTube video of your choice. I’ll be using the Skateboarding Dog video as my example. (If you've never seen it, you can view it here).
3.) Once the video begins to play, click on the Get YouTube Video link.
4.) A download box will then appear. All you need to do is click
Save.
5.) Save the file with a unique name and voila. You have a brand new video file!
Now, for those of you using Firefox, a Greasemonkey script can provide a download link directly to the video page.
1.) To install the script, visit this link and click on the Install button.
2.) When you visit a YouTube video, you’ll then see this link:
3.) Actually, all you have to do is click on the link and you'll be prompted to
save the video. Cool, huh?!
Also, to add the videos to iTunes and your iPod, just follow these steps:
1.) Go to File and click on Add File to Library.
2.) Select the video and click Open.
The video will then be added to your movie collection.
3.) There you have it! A complete guide to getting your favorite YouTube videos on your iPod.
Enjoy!
~ Neil Patel
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http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/5354
Evernote
For this week's download, I found something for those of you who want to keep your ideas organized. The program is called Evernote and it's much more than just a program! Evernote can be installed on your computer, visited on the Web or even installed on some cell phones, like the iPhone and a few Blackberrys.
Here's how it works! When you install Evernote on your computer, you can put things you want to keep for later use on it. For example, you can write a small note using your keyboard, you can drag images, words and Web sites to it, you can drag whole Web sites to it and you can even record a voice note to it.
After doing that, Evernote will save the information for you and index it so that you can find it later. Now, here's the coolest part! Let's say you were on a friend's computer and you wanted to show them something you saved on Evernote. To do that, all you have to do is go to www.evernote.com and log in. Everything you saved to Evernote will be there. All the pictures, shortcuts and words you put on your own computer. Pretty cool, huh?!
On top of all that, if you have a supported cell phone, you can install Evernote and save items from your phone too. That way, you can take a picture with your phone and it will be organized and saved on your computer.
If you want to learn more about Evernote and sign up for a free account, you can do so here. Enjoy!
~ Gary
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Welcome to A.nnotate, a Web site where you can upload a document or Web page you need feedback for, without the hassle of having to e-mail it back and forth for changes and commentary. And best of all, you can do it all for free!
On the main page, there's a demo video that describes everything you can do with A.nnotate, as well as, some tips on how to use it. You can try it out without registering, but you’ll need to register to save or share your work.
Registration is very easy as well! Just type in your e-mail address, click on the Log in/Register button and then go check your e-mail to get your password. Also, make sure you click on the confirmation link in the e-mail. Once you do that, you should be automatically logged in and you can begin!
To get started, you need to either upload a document or type in a Web address that the application can convert to .PDF. To upload a document, click on the Choose button and select it from your computer. For a Web page, type in the URL of the site and then click on the Take a Snapshot button.
If you’re already registered, you’ll be able to use the Upload a New Document and New Webshot buttons near the top of the page to do the very same thing. Once your document or Webshot has loaded, you can begin.
I decided to take a Webshot for an example and I used WorldStart's Web page. Once it loaded, there was a gray navigation bar with these options: Snapshot, Notes, New Note and Send E-mail.
Snapshot is the default page you’ll be on and it shows you the Web page you took a snapshot of.
Notes will show you any comments anyone has made on the Web page.
New Note allows you to add a comment or note to the document.
Send E-mail allows you to send the document to the person you need or want to look over it.
There are tons of uses for this site, so I urge you to go and find them. Have fun!
~ Amanda
Do you have a
cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at
amanda@worldstart.com
FuturixImager
Version: 5.9.2
File Size: 2197KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows 2000, XP,
Vista;
Windows Server 2003
FuturixImager opens, displays, and--with the downloadable "extras"
file at the vendor's site--lets you edit a ton of image file types. It's quite a
bit simpler to use, albeit less powerful, than popular Photoshop alternative
GIMP. The free Imager even captures screens (or portions thereof) and displays
slideshows using the directory in which the currently selected file resides.
It's no Photoshop, or even GIMP. That said, FuturixImager offers a very
interesting approach with a very small memory and disk footprint that
minimalists will like.
--Jon L. Jacobi
Read more and download this software:
FuturixImager
VisiPics
Version: 1.3
File Size: 1943KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows 2000, XP,
Vista;
Windows Server 2003
Just as duplicate songs somehow find their way into music
libraries, so do duplicate photos seem to crop up in photo collections.
Fortunately, there's a great freeware utility that can find and remove them for
you: VisiPics. I turned VisiPics loose on my My Pictures folder, which contains
over four thousand photos. It took about 40 minutes to complete its scan, but it
did an amazing job.
--Rick Broida
Read more and download this software:
VisiPics
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
Q:
I'm running a dual boot system with both
Windows
Vista and Windows
XP. I would like the default setting to be
Vista, but I can't figure out how to do that. Can you please help?
A:
Well, as a matter of
fact, I can! This question is perfect for anyone out there who is running a
dual boot setup on their computer. Now, I'm talking about a dual boot
between Windows Vista and Windows XP. If that's the setup you have, are you
having trouble getting the Vista operating system to come up as your default
system? Maybe you want to learn how to use Windows Vista, but you want to keep
XP around too, just in case you run into some problems with Vista, etc.
If that sounds like your situation, make sure you keep reading to find out how you can easily change your default settings to be exactly the way you want them!
To do so, just follow these quick instructions:
1.) With your Windows Vista operating system turned on, right click on the Computer icon on your desktop and choose Properties.
2.) Click on Advanced System Settings.
3.) Next, under the Startup and Recovery section, click on the Settings button.
4.) Finally, select the operating system you want to be your default (in this case, Microsoft Windows Vista).
That's all there is to it! Now, you could use the bcdedit command from the command line to do the same thing, but trust me, this way is much easier. Once you have the operating system of your choice selected, just hit OK and you'll be all set!
You can then shut down your computer and restart it. Your new default operating system should start right up for you and you can then go back to happy computer land. Give it a try today!
~ Erin
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I’ve found a couple of good utilities that can help you improve the security and safety of your laptop while you’re on the road (and one of them will help around the office, too).
Hands off, bud
The
first one isn’t free after the trial period, but it’s pretty useful. It’s
called
Laptop Alarm, and it’s from Syfer in The Netherlands. Once you’ve installed
(sorry Mac – it’s Windows only) and activated it, Laptop Alarm sits there
quietly until someone does something to change the state of your laptop, such as
unplugging the power cable; removing the mouse or another USB peripheral; or
shuts down the laptop.
When one of the offending events occurs, it make a loud noise to alert you that someone’s messing with your laptop. This can be handy in an airport lounge, library, or other venue such as that where you may need to walk off for a few minutes to get something. [BTW – a laptop cable lock might be a good idea if you do that a lot]
You can download a free, fully-functional trial version if you’d like. The full version is 10 Euros.
Automatic locking
The
next one is pretty cool. It’s called
BtProx and it’s a free utility that can automatically lock your laptop (yep,
Windows only again) when you walk away. This is handy if you often forget to
lock your computer when you walk away for a meeting (by the way, the shortcut +L
will do it quick if you remember).
How does BtProx do its magic? Well, it uses Bluetooth (which means both your phone and your laptop must support Bluetooth for this to work). When your computer loses contact with your phone via Bluetooth, BtProx locks the system for you after a preset time. Pretty cool.
As an added bonus, you can configure BtProx to automatically launch a specified application when it locks the system. That could be handy if you combined it with other security programs (such as Laptop Alarm) or wanted to trigger a backup or antivirus scan when you are away from your computer.
So, laptop users – check them out and let me know what you think.
An Introduction To Popular Netbooks
Posted: 01 Feb 2009 07:31 PM PST
Netbooks have absolutely taken
the online world by storm. More and more users are deciding to sell their heavy
and cumbersome laptops in exchange for a lightweight, easy to carry netbook.
Some of them are so small they nearly fit into your handbag. While they might be
a little on the small side for everyday tasks, they certainly can't be beat for
value and usability.
Ever since I first laid eyes on a white Asus netbook earlier this year, I fell
in love with the concept of using a smaller laptop in exchange for fuss-free
travel. Not only that, but my netbook has taught me that I don't need to keep
all the digital clutter stored on my computer. Instead I keep the barest of
applications.
Since I already spent the best part of one week looking
and studying these little machines, I figured you might also like to get a
lowdown on what's available in the market right now. Just don't blame me if you
become a netbook addict as well.
Upon my research it has become clear to me that netbooks will indeed be the
“thing of 2009” and beyond. If you never laid eyes on a netbook yourself, I
suggest you hit the shops now. They really are as groovy as they look.
So tell me, are you already in netbook fever?
|
|
Written on 2/01/2009 by Monika Mundell. Monika Mundell is a passionate freelance writer and pro-blogger. Her blog Freelance Writing helps new freelance writers to get started in this exciting industry. If you like to work with Monika, feel free to visit her Portfolio site. |
Finally! A Web site that lets you store all of your bookmarks in one place and is 100 percent free. It is really easy to get started with too. Just click on Create Account beneath the username field. You do need an account, because it will keep track of all your bookmarks, allowing you to access them from anywhere.
To register, just fill in the fields: Username, E-mail Address, Password, Security Question (this is a drop down box), Answer and Time Zone. Then just agree to their terms and conditions and click on Register. There’s nothing to confirm, so you can get started right away!
After you’ve registered, they will start you off by having you get netRocket buttons for your favorite browser. Right now, I’m a fan of Opera, so I chose that one. Once you’ve selected your browser, you'll get a browser specific installation guide to get your netRocket button installed. Just follow the instructions to get it all set up.
If you run into any snags, check out the Rocket Manual link at the top of the page. You'll find great tips on how to get the most out of netRocket there as well!
This site is great for me, because with all the sites I research, I can schedule reminders for myself to go back and look at something I didn’t really have time to check out at the time. That way, I won’t forget to investigate what could be a really cool site. I think the scheduling feature is probably my favorite on netRocket!
Another nice feature is being able to label the sites I bookmark with tags. With that, if I’m looking for a specific kind of site, I can just click on the tag and browse through my bookmarks that fall into that category. An example of tag categories in my links would be: Music, Art and Funny.
I hope you all get as much use out of this site as I already have!
~ Amanda
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us know by rating it here:
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Effective Ways To Backup Important Data
Posted: 30 Jan 2009 08:35 AM PST
The other day my computer made
a really unhealthy gurgling sound. To be honest, I feared the worst and spent
half the day backing up my hard drive. It's beyond me as to why I choose to wait
until the last minute to create back ups. I think it goes without saying that
this should be done automatically every day, or at least every week.
Truth be known, I believe that most computer users neglect PC backups; then the
worst happens. Unfortunately, this isn't a viable option for my business. If I
neglect PC backups, I risk losing all of my business data.
I'm not a tech geek and make do with the things that work for me. Below is a
list of backup options I'm currently using. Since I'm pretty compulsive about
losing my backup, there are backups of backups. To me, one can never be too sure
about keeping data safe.
Those are probably the most popular forms of backup for your data. I would love to hear from you guys on what you use to backup your data. Before I end this post, I like to leave you with one sentence: “Go backup now!”
Written on 1/30/2009 by Monika Mundell. Monika is a passionate freelance writer and pro-blogger. Her blog Freelance Writing helps new freelance writers to get started in this exciting industry. If you like to work with Monika, feel free to visit her Portfolio site.
By Mark Kyrnin, About.com
economic climate in 2009, it is likely that consumers will see a growing number of retailers that are going out of business or willing to sell products at clearance prices. Often consumers will be present with various claims such as 50% off for products. These seem like really great deals, but they generally are not that good. Retailers and liquidators use various pricing techniques to generate these percentages to make the discounts look better than they really are.
This article looks to inform consumers about these practices so that they can make sure they are really getting a fair deal on a clearance or liquidation computer system. These techniques are used for just about any electronics item and can be just as useful for any clearance shopping. Before getting into the techniques, its first important to get some basic knowledge on product pricing.
MSRP
The manufacturer's suggested retail price is the amount that the manufacturer thinks the product should sell for by retailers. Most consumers have heard this term used when shopping for an automobile. They also are probably familiar that the MSRP is generally not the actual price that the consumer will pay. The price may end up being higher, but more than likely it is less than MSRP due to competition between retailers, bulk discounts from manufacturers and other means.
Street Price
The street price is the actual amount that a product can be found for at a retailer without any special discounts or savings. As mentioned above, this price is typically below the MSRP. The most common reason for the street price being lower than the MSRP is competition between retailers for the same products. Retailer A prices their product less than retailer B in order to get more sales. Retailer B then generally drops their prices to match. This process continues until a fairly stable price is achieved between retailers.
Clearance or Liquidation Price
Retailers that are trying to get rid of old products from the shelves will generally sell a product at a discounted or clearance price. Similarly, a store that is going out of business will generally sell a product at a discounted or liquidation price. These terms are pretty much interchangeable as they just mean that the product is being priced to get it out of inventory. This could be because they want the space for newer products or need to pay off creditors when they go out of business.
Real vs. Advertised Discount Rates
Now retailers that are doing clearance or liquidation sales will generally have a percentage discount listed next to their clearance or liquidation price. These big numbers are used to entice consumers into thinking they are saving a large amount of money by buying the product from them instead of another retailer. This is where the deceptive practices come into play.
Most discount rates that are listed by the retailers will be based on the difference between the MSRP amount and their clearance price. Because the MSRP is generally a higher price than the street price that the product can be purchased at, the discount rates are being inflated to make the consumer think they are getting a better deal. Let's take a hypothetical example that I have based upon some real world liquidation prices I have seen.
A computer retailer is going out of business and has been forced to go into liquidation. A third party comes in to sell all the inventory to pay off creditors. It is in their best interest to get the most money they can to pay off the debts. A certain laptop is in their inventory that they are looking to sell. It was originally released 9 months prior and had an MSRP of $1000. At that time, the street price through retailers was around $800. Since then, the manufacturer has discontinued that model and replaced it with a new one. The liquidator decides to sell the laptop for $600. To entice buyers, they list it as being 40% off as it is that much less than the original MSRP. Of course, the real discount would be just 25% since the product could have been purchased for $800 when it was released from this same retailer.
Now, this looks like consumers are still getting a discount of 25%, right? Wrong. The product has been discontinued. Other retailers are now clearing out their excess inventory with clearance prices below the original release street price. What price are they selling it at? The exact same price as the liquidator's clearance price of $600. This means that in this example, there is no real world savings from buying from the liquidation sale.
How To Avoid Such Scams
Liquidation and clearance sales rely on the impulse buying of consumers. They see signs with large discount percentages and are tricked into thinking they are getting a good deal. The retailers are relying on the lack of information by consumers of current real world pricing. This is the part that consumers need to address before they walk into such a sale.
There are two ways to really have information when dealing with such sales: research ahead of time and tag team real time shopping. Researching ahead of time is generally the easier of the two methods. It allows consumers to think of products they would be willing to purchase ahead of time. Once they have a list of items, they can research the actual prices of the products in question from other retailers. When they are shopping in the store, they can compare their researched prices with the clearance prices and see if they are getting a deal. If they aren't, they can simply walk away. They also will be less tempted by impulse buying.
Tag team shopping is a bit more difficult. It requires some method for looking up pricing real time. This can either be with another individual on a cell phone at another retailer or at a computer or with some form of internet access within the store. Both methods allow for a clearance product to be checked out against other sources to find out if the price really is discounted. It involves a lot more effort but it produces much more accurate results. It can also be more useful to the individual who is shopping for deals but isn't quite as sure what products they might want.
Related Resources
Refurbished Laptops and Desktops
One thing I can't stand is having a computer full of programs that I don't use anymore! Extra programs on a computer do nothing but slow it down. That's why it's a good idea to go through your system every once in awhile and uninstall programs you don't use anymore.
Usually, uninstalling is done by going to your system's Control Panel and opening the Add/Remove Programs section (listed as Programs in Vista). That way works just fine most of the time, but sometimes it just doesn't cut it. The other day, that type of problem happened to me. I was trying to uninstall a program and it just wouldn't come out. There were leftover files and registry entries all over the place. Because of that, I started looking for a program that would fix my problem.
What I found is called Revo Uninstaller. Revo Uninstaller is a free program that accurately and safely removes unwanted, stubborn programs from your computer. It begins by making a system restore point, which is great, because if anything goes wrong, it can be undone. Next, it runs the regular uninstaller for the program you want to remove. After that's completed, it will do one of two things. If you choose the Safe uninstall, it will show you the leftover files and registry lines and allow you to delete them yourself. If you choose the Moderate uninstall, it will do everything for you.
I chose the Moderate option and didn't run into any issues. However, choosing the Safe method gives you more control over the uninstall. So, the choice is yours!
When it comes to uninstallers, this program is great. You can download the Revo Uninstaller for yourself right here. Enjoy!
~ Gary
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Have you ever run across an image with a font you really liked, but didn’t know what it was? Well, never fear! Now, you can identify those mystery fonts with ease on this Web site. Oh yeah!
How does it work? Well, it’s quite simple! You just click on the Choose button and then find the image with the font you like wherever you saved it on your computer. Or, you can put in the URL of the image with the font and then click on Upload Image. The site will then try to match the font to the best of its ability. For more tips on submitting your font for a match, make sure you check out the usage guide.
What happens next is the application tries to identify characters in the image you submitted. So, you’ll see your image repeated many times down the page with a box next to it. In the box, there will be a character the application thinks it found in the image. You need to make sure each character is correct. If they aren’t, go ahead and click on the Search button.
Now, it will load up which fonts it thinks matches and you can then scroll down the page and compare your image to the fonts they have selected.
If it can't match the font, don’t despair! Help is still there waiting for you in the What the Font Forum. Just click on the Consult an Expert link at the bottom of the page and you’ll be taken to the log in page. It’s really easy to sign up. Just fill out the form and click on the Create Account button. Then just submit your query to the forum members. The people on there are really good at figuring out which font is in your image. You’ll see the most recent posts to the font forum right on the front page and you can also click Next to look through all the entries.
This site is a real haven for font junkies like me. Check it out today!
http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
~ Amanda
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us know by rating it here:
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Porta
Version: 1.02
File Size: 606KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows XP,
Vista
If you'd like to create photo albums on the Web, you won't find a
simpler way to do it than using Porta. With a click or two, you'll be able to
create completely formatted HTML-based albums, ready for the Web. To make the
album live, upload its entire folder on your hard disk to your Web site. If you
use a Web-based photo sharing service, such as Flickr, Shutterfly, or others,
you won't have a need for Porta. But if you have your own Web site, and want to
put photo albums on it, this freebie is a great bet.
--Preston Gralla
Read more and download this software:
Jalbum
Version: 8.16
File Size: 17,677KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows NT, 2000, 9.x, Me, XP,
Vista; Windows
Server 2003
Requirements: Java 1.5
Jalbum is an easy-to-use program that can take folders of images on
your hard disk and turn them into a sophisticated, attractive, online gallery
with just a few mouse clicks. If you sign up at the vendor's site, you even get
30 megabytes of space free, with an easy-to-remember URL.
--Ian Harac
Read more and download this software:
Jalbum
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
I use Hotmail as my main e-mail program and every once in awhile, some of the e-mails I want to go to my Inbox are automatically sent to the Junk folder. I've set up my spam filters and everything, but it still happens sometimes. How can I make it stop? Please help me!
A:
Wow, I can't even
imagine all the frustration you must feel when that happens. I mean, after
spending all that time setting up your spam filters and your important messages
still get sent to the junk pile! I bet nothing else makes you want to throw your
computer out the window more, am I right? Granted, that may be taking things a
little too far, but if that has ever happened to you, I know you know what I'm
talking about!
Now, while the Hotmail filters are great at what they do, they, like everything else, are not perfect. Every so often, they slip up and accidentally send one of your "wanted" e-mails to the wrong folder. That could happen to an e-mail one of your friends sent to you or even to a newsletter you're subscribed to (WorldStart's newsletter, for example). Whatever the e-mail contains, all of your messages are important and I, for one, don't want you to miss out on any of them.
So, allow me to give all you Hotmail users another option when it comes to filtering your e-mail messages. It's really easy to do and it won't take you all day to get it done. Okay, let's get started!
Along with its e-mail filters, Hotmail has what is called a Safe List. That feature is meant specifically for those e-mails that automatically get sent to the Junk e-mail folder. You can add certain e-mail addresses to the Safe List and after that, Hotmail will never regard those addresses as spam again. For example, if you've ever had trouble receiving our newsletter here at WorldStart, you can put the address of "steve@worldstart.com" on your Safe List. That way, you'll be guaranteed to always get our newsletters in your Inbox each day.
Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?! If you're interested, this is how you can do it. Log in to your Hotmail account and click on the Options link located in the top right hand corner. Then choose More Options. From there, under the Junk E-mail section, click on the Safe and Blocked Senders link. Then look for the Safe Mailing Lists option. Now, go ahead and type in an e-mail address you would like to keep safe. It could be one of your friends, a family member, a co-worker, etc. Once you have the address typed in, click on the Add to List button.
The address will then automatically be added to your Safe List. You can then type in another e-mail address and so on, until you have all the addresses you want saved added. Unfortunately, there's no way to do multiple addresses at once, so it may take you a little while to get them all done, but once you do, I know you'll be more than pleased with the results.
Now, of course, there are still some e-mail addresses you'll probably want to keep out, so you can either use Hotmail's Junk E-mail Filter option or the Block Senders feature to do that. Doing both of those is just as important as the Safe List, so make sure you cover all your bases. Once you're all done setting up your filters, you'll have no trouble getting in the e-mails you want and keeping the others out. It doesn't get any better than that. Give it a try today!
~ Erin
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This is something a lot of people
should be interested in, even if you don't have kids. It's the
evolution of the tech language.
http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-Chat-Acronyms
I was looking around in my Add/Remove Programs area in the Control Panel and I found something on the side that said "Set Program Access and Defaults." What does that mean and should I even mess with it?
A:
It's interesting
that you asked this question, because a co-worker of mine here at WorldStart
actually pointed this out to me awhile back. I guess it must have slipped my
mind though, because I never did anything about it. So, I guess it's time to
redeem myself, because after researching this feature, I thought it might be
something a lot of you would be interested in. So, let's check it out together!
First of all, this feature can only be found in Windows XP and you need to have Service Pack 1 or higher. If you're using anything lower than that, this will not work for you. Again, what we're talking about is called "Set Program Access and Defaults." You can use this feature to change the default programs you use for certain activities you do while on your computer. For example, such activities as simply surfing the Web, sending e-mails, playing CDs or using instant messaging programs.
Now, before I go into any more detail, I need to tell you that you must have Administrator rights to use this feature. Otherwise, you won't be able to change any of your default programs and that will just defeat the whole purpose of this tip. If you're not sure how to get Administrator rights, you can read this article for some help. Also, if you use a Windows XP Professional computer that's part of a network, you must be logged in as the Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to be able to do this. The same goes for those of you who use Windows XP Professional or Home Edition computers that are not part of a network. You still need to be signed in as the computer's Administrator in order to change the default program settings.
Okay, once you're all set with that, go to Start, All Programs and then find the choice that says "Set Program Access and Defaults." (You can also get there by going to Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. On the left hand side, you'll see the choice for "Set Program Access and Defaults"). Once you're there, you have four options to choose from:
1.) You can restore your program settings to what they were when established by the manufacturer of your computer. If you want to do that, click on the Computer Manufacturer choice. Now, this option is only available if the actual manufacturer put Service Pack 1 on your computer and set allowances for those settings. (If you're not sure about that, you may want to contact your manufacturer or look for some information about it in your computer's manual first).
2.) If you want to set your program defaults to fit the needs of the activities you do on your computer (like the ones I mentioned above), click on the Microsoft Windows choice. With that option, you'll be able to access both Microsoft and non-Microsoft programs from your Start menu, your desktop or any other location you may choose on your computer.
3.) Now, if you want to use non-Microsoft programs as your defaults, click the Non-Microsoft choice. You can then just select the options you want. Now, keep in mind that this configuration does remove your available access to other specified Windows programs.
4.) The last choice is to combine the non-Microsoft and Microsoft Windows options. This one is under the name of Custom, so if you'd like to do this, click it. You can then select the options you want to set for your computer. By doing a custom setting, you can pretty much do a combination of all the above choices. That includes being able to access your programs from your Start menu, your desktop and any other location you choose.
Once you have all your settings in place, click the OK button and everything will be ready. In case you were wondering, my computer is set to Custom, because with that, I have the most control over the way my programs act on my computer. You can (and should) choose for yourself, but that's only my opinion. Okay, now that you know what this feature is, go and get your programs to do what you want them to do, all with a few easy clicks!
~ Erin
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Believe it or not, but someone at Google finally realized how helpful it would be to add a to do list to the Gmail e-mail program. It's called Tasks and it's now available in Gmail Labs (to get there, click on the beaker icon next to Settings in the upper right hand corner of your Gmail account). When you enable Tasks, it appears as a link in the left hand column under Contacts. Click on the link and a box will pop up in the lower right hand corner, just like it does when you use GTalk. You can add tasks, reorder them, cross out completed tasks, switch to a new list or even pop the box out to keep it on your desktop. How cool is that?!
Tasks is a simple feature, but it's really useful for people who keep Gmail open
all the time. In general, I’m not a big user of to do lists. It's not because I
don’t need them, but because they require me to open a separate application or
go to a dedicated Web site, such as Remember the Milk.
Having a dedicated Task Manager inside Gmail is a much better option! And with Tasks, you can now turn any e-mail into a task by selecting it as an action. You can also add a due date for each task. Plus, adding items is as simple as clicking on a vacant part of the box and typing. It's really just an easy way to accomplish the tasks you need to get done each and every day.
Since e-mail is how many of us get things done, both in our personal and professional lives, why not add a list of things you may not be able to get done via e-mail. You know, maybe something like dinner reservations. Yep, Tasks can help you with that too. Give it a try today and see how easy it makes your life!
~ Ramachandran Kumaraswami
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http://digital-photography-school.com/8-sites-for-free-presets
Following up from her recent post about How to Create Adobe Lightroom Presets - today Christina shares a few sites to get great Presets.
You’ve decided to play around with Adobe Lighroom’s Presets. However, you want to spend neither a few hundred dollars purchasing them or dozens of hours developing them.
Check these sites out for some free downloads:
Happy editing!
There are a number of Bluetooth gadget and gizmos. Find out about the top 5 Bluetooth gadgets to make your communication easier.
Awesome Tools To Create & Manage All Your Passwords
Posted: 21 Jan 2009 08:30 AM PST
The advent of Web 2.0 and the
rise of social networking sites and other web services has compelled most of us
to create dozens of new accounts - each requiring a username and a password.
While the easier option would be to maintain a single username and password for
all your online accounts, it is not advisable from a security point of
view. Lack of strong passwords makes it easy for hackers to break into your
accounts. Hence it is better to have a unique and strong password for every
online account you maintain.
And of course, it is very important to remember all those different passwords,
which unfortunately, not everyone of us is capable of.
Luckily, there are some cool tools available to help you with this task. Almost
all of these are free tools which help you create strong passwords,
remember them and also make them portable so that you can use them irrespective
of the computer which you are on.
Here's the list of 8 such tools which make the task of managing multiple
passwords a breeze.
Keep in mind that all the above password managers rely on a master password to
access the secure vault and hence it is very important that you don't forget it.
Cheers,
Abhijeet
|
|
Written on 1/21/2008 by Abhijeet Mukherjee. You can catch him at Jeet Blog where he blogs about different Web 2.0 apps and online tools and how they can help you become more productive. |
Many people out there would say that Windows XP's search feature isn't anything to be desired. And I would have to agree. Also, many people would say it's hard to find a program via your All Programs menu. I would also agree with that statement.
Well, all of those difficulties can be solved with a free download called the Find and Run Robot. Its little box allows you to quickly type what you're looking for and simply click to launch! For example, I installed the Find and Run Robot and then typed in "Windows Update." The Robot found the Windows Update application the moment I stopped typing. I clicked on it and had my system updated immediately!
If you have a lot of stuff on your computer, you should try the Find and Run Robot. It's easy to install and very easy to use. You can download the Find and Run Robot for yourself right here. Enjoy!
~ Gary
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download? Give us your opinion by rating it here:
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For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every
Do you want to remember some historic event in your life? Perhaps the birth of your first child or your trip to Europe or maybe even a concert series you attended. Either way, now you can with Capzles. It's a Web site that allows users to create time capsules using photos, videos and even their own blogs, all for free!
Before you decide to register, I suggest doing two things. The first is to take a moment and watch the video of the guided tour. That will explain how the site works and what all you can do here.
The second thing is to click on the Take a Flying Leap link at the top of the page. That will take you to a random Capzles that you can explore and really experience what a user-made time capsule looks like.
Registration is easy! To get started, click on the Join Now button at the top of the page. Create a username and password and then click on the Go to Final Step button. Now, enter in your name, location, gender, birth date, e-mail address and fill in the code you see. When you're finished, click on the I’m Done, Let Me In button. You can then get started right away!
To start making your time capsule, click on Create. That will take you to the creation interface where you can not only upload your content, but design the capsule itself.
I put one together in roughly 15 minutes and you can see it here if you'd like.
I think this is a great way to store memories of events, places and things you’ve done in your life. So, tell me, what will you put in your time capsule?!
~ Amanda
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Worm Infects 9 Million Computers
I often find myself saying, "Please keep your computer up to date!" Well, today is another one of those days, but it may be too late for some of you.
As you may or may not recall, back in October 2008, Microsoft released an emergency security patch to protect computers from a worm that could exploit the Windows Server service. That service, while it sounds like it would only be on servers, actually runs on every computer that has Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 2003 Server and 2008 Server.
At the time, many newspapers made a big deal out of the patch, because it was released at a time when Microsoft doesn't usually release patches. Those "out of cycle" updates are generally more important, because Microsoft feels the need to release them immediately, instead of at the beginning of the month.
Well, even though the patch was released to fix a major issue with Windows, many people did not install it. Now, the worm, called "Downadup," has infected over 9 million computers worldwide. The worm works by infecting Web sites, making them hosts for the virus. After a Web site is infected, the site can give the worm to any computer that visits.
At this time, the worm continues to spread like wildfire, so please, please, please update your computer! There are several ways to make sure your computer is up to date. The best way is to open Internet Explorer (not Firefox) and go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. That Web site will scan your system and tell you which updates you need. You should install all of the critical updates.
After you've done your updates, you should also download the Malicious Software Removal Tool. That's a quick tool Microsoft releases monthly to remove known viruses, worms and spyware from Windows computers. To get this month's version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool, go here. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!
~ Gary
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So, tell me, how much spam do you get in a day? I know that if it weren't for my spam filter, I would have over 50 spam messages in my Inbox everyday. The amount of spam you get depends on a lot of things. Of course, you will get more spam if you sign up for untrusted newsletters, post your e-mail address on Web sites or if you respond to spam messages sent to you. You can lower the amount of spam you get by avoiding those things, but a new study has shown that there is another way to limit the amount of spam you receive.
It seems as if e-mail addresses that start with letters toward the beginning of the alphabet get more spam. On the other hand, e-mail addresses that start with letters later in the alphabet get less spam. That happens because many spammers send their messages out in alphabetical order. If your e-mail address starts with a letter that comes later in the alphabet, you may not get as many spam messages, because your e-mail provider probably blocked the spammer by the time they got to you.
That's just something to think about the next time you create a new e-mail address. Maybe tacking a "z" onto the beginning of your address will help ease the pain of spam. Until next time, stay safe out there, my friends!
~ Gary
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Drive Manager
Version: 4.03
File Size: 1679KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows NT, 2000, 9.x, Me, XP,
Vista
Drive Manager is a nice little utility that becomes more useful the
more drives--including
USB
keys and the like--you use regularly. While Windows has some of this
functionality built in, it can be a pain to access (you have to burrow through a
good bit of the Control Panel to find it), and it doesn't include the level of
detail you get through Drive Manager.
--Ian Harac
Read more and download this software:
Drive Manager
Comparer
Version: 1.0.3.2
File Size: 277KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows XP,
Vista
Windows Explorer will tell you a lot about the properties of files
if you choose to display all the columns--but who wants to browse a hard drive
with all that usually unnecessary information cluttering things up? An easier
solution for the occasional need to compare two similar files would be Comparer.
You drag a pair of tiles to this simple, free utility, which then displays all
the pertinent information.
--Jon Jacobi
Read more and download this software:
Comparer
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
Connect Your Computer to the TV
There are plenty of reasons to do this. For hosting parties: you can display
family photos for the entire living room of guests. For playing computer games:
you can have a massively large screen to enhance the action. And in the other
direction: you can watch television shows on your computer screen as you are
sifting email or catching up on computer paperwork.
About.com explains how and why to connect your computer to the television...
Securing Your E-mail - Part 1
Did you know that when you send an e-mail, it's not secure? I'm sure you've heard people say you should never send personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and sensitive files through e-mail, but do you know why? Well, today, I'm going to explain all of that and give you options for sending e-mails that are safe for sensitive data. Here we go!
Let's first talk about why it's not safe to send a regular e-mail with sensitive data. When you send an e-mail, the information inside is sent just as you see it. The actual text you type is sent across the Internet. When something goes across the Internet, it doesn't just go from point A to point B. It actually goes through an average of six to 10 computers before it reaches its destination. Most of the time, the e-mail will be delivered without anyone seeing it, but there's always the chance a bad person could intercept the e-mail and read the contents. Since the e-mail isn't scrambled or encrypted, it's very easy to read and your information could be stolen.
Now that you understand the troubles of unencrypted e-mails, let's discuss e-mail encryption. When an e-mail is encrypted, it's scrambled using a special "secret key." The key can be used to descramble the e-mail and it's only known by the computer receiving the message. E-mail encryption is great! It secures e-mail so that no one can read it. It's nearly impossible to steal and it makes it so that very sensitive data can be sent in an e-mail with no worries. There is one problem though: if encrypting e-mail was simple, everyone would be doing it. Unfortunately, there are a couple requirements when it comes to e-mail encryption.
1.) You must be using an e-mail client, such as Outlook Express, MS Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. No Web based e-mail programs support e-mail encryption.
2.) In order to send an encrypted e-mail to someone, the person you're sending it to needs to have already shared their key with you. (Don't worry, I'll explain that more if you keep reading!)
Now, I understand that number 2 may have thrown you off a bit, so here's how it works. Like I said earlier, e-mail is encrypted with a special key that only the recipient can unscramble. That means, in order to send an encrypted e-mail, the person you're sending the e-mail to needs to have an encryption key installed. That's why hardly anyone encrypts their e-mail. To have truly safe e-mail communication, both people sending and receiving the e-mail need to have an encryption key.
So, how can you get a key and how do you use it?
Well, here's the good news: getting an e-mail encryption key is free and easy! If you get a key, people can then send you encrypted e-mails if they're sending the e-mail using Outlook Express, Outlook or Thunderbird. Here's how to do it:
1.) First, head on over to this Web site.
2.) Once you're there, choose the option to get your free certificate.
3.) Fill out the form to get your certificate. Also, make sure you use the correct e-mail address and choose the high-grade size.
4.) An e-mail will then be sent to you. That e-mail will have directions on how to use the certificate. Click on the button to install the certificate.
5.) After the certificate is installed, you'll have the ability to digitally sign e-mails. That means you can send e-mails to people and they'll know for sure it's coming from you. After you send someone a signed e-mail, they can then send encrypted e-mails to you as well.
Okay, I'm almost done! The last part of this is how to actually sign and encrypt the e-mail. In Outlook Express, when you write a new e-mail, you should see a button that says Sign. Just click on that button and then send your e-mail like normal. If you have a signature from the person you're sending to, just press Encrypt and the e-mail will be protected.
Now, I know some of you are saying, "What do I do? I want to encrypt an e-mail to someone who doesn't have a certificate." Well, there's a way to do that too, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll show you a free download to use with Outlook Express or Outlook that will allow you to send encrypted e-mails to anyone. So, until tomorrow, stay safe out there, my friends!
Part 2
As you probably remember, yesterday, I wrote about how you can secure your e-mail using a security certificate (you can read that tip here if you missed it). That process required both parties to be using an e-mail client, such as Outlook Express or MS Outlook. Well, today, I'll talk about another method of e-mail encryption that allows you to send secure e-mails to anyone if you're using Outlook Express. The best part about this method is that while you still have to be using an e-mail client, the recipient can be using any program and they can still read the e-mail by going to a secure link through the provider of the program. Let's check it out!
The program is called Comodo SecureEmail and it's completely free! All you need to do is install Comodo SecureEmail, use the wizard to get an e-mail certificate and start sending out secure e-mails. When you send a secure e-mail to a person who doesn't have the correct requirements, they'll be directed to a Web site where they can read your e-mail securely and safely.
To learn more about SecureEmail and download it for yourself, simply go here. Enjoy!
~ Gary
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Steganography: Hiding Your Messages
In today’s age of hackers, phishers and identity thefts, you can never be too sure when saving or sending private or sensitive information. Although you might use safe practices, your recipient may not. As you may recall, in the past, I have shown you how to encrypt data using AxCrypt. That's a good program to use, but if someone were to get ahold of it and realize it was encrypted, it would increase their interest and motivate them to crack open your files. And that's when today's tip comes into play!
First, let me ask you this: would you believe there's something hidden in the picture below?
Well, there is and it was placed there using
steganography. Steganography is the art and science of
writing hidden messages in such a way that no one apart from the sender and
intended recipient knows it's there. It's useful when you want to send passwords
or confidential information out or if you only want certain people to be able to
read a message. Sound neat? Then let's see how you can use it to your advantage!
1.) To get started, go ahead and download an application called Hide In Picture and extract the zip file.
2.) Open the winhip_en file and you'll see this simple interface:
3.) Now, you can pick the image that will hold the hidden file. The image needs
to be in Bitmap or GIF format. When you have your image ready, select
File and then
Open Picture.
4.) The image will then appear. To hide a file, click on
Image, Hide Image. Select a file and then click
Open. Most likely, you'll select
a document, but you can also hide an MP3 or another image.
5.) Enter in a password and then click
OK.
6.) To save your new encrypted image, click Image and then Save.
1.) To open the hidden file, you must use Hide In Picture. Open the Hide In Picture program and click on File, Open Picture.
2.) Select your image file and then click Open.
3.) On the menu, select Image,
Retrieve File and then
enter your password.
4.) You'll then be prompted to save the encrypted file.
5.) Go ahead and give it a try with the image above. The password is "worldstart."
See if you can read the secret message!
With a little practice, steganography is a very easy way to send sensitive information over your network or the dangerous information superhighway. Have fun!
~ Neil Patel
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tell your friends. That's what keeps this newsletter growing.
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By Bradley Mitchell, About.com
You can transfer files from PC to PC over a network using any of several different software packages and methods. This process is often called "file sharing" or "file swapping."
1. Shared Folders in Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows operating systems allow you to designate one or more file folders on your hard drive for sharing on the network. With your permission, others can connect to your share and copy files from it.
2. Instant Messaging File Transfer
Instant Messaging software like AIM and MSN Messenger support sending file attachments to your buddies. IM programs often enforce a limit on the size of files that can be transfered. Do not accept files sent by strangers as these may carry destructive computer viruses.
3. FTP Software
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is one of the oldest technologies for transferring files across the Internet. To use FTP, files must first be posted on a server computer. Then, others can obtain a copy of the files using a software application called an FTP client.
4. P2P Software
So-called P2P (Peer 2 Peer) software applications allow files to be sent and received across the Internet. P2P systems like BitTorrent are designed to handle very large files such as music and videos efficiently.
5. Remote Access Software
Remote access software applications are designed to support remote login from one of your computers to another across the Internet. Many of these applications like RealVNC include a file transfer function allowing you to copy files between the two computers as needed.
6. Email
Email applications are designed to transfer messages between two parties. Most modern email systems allow the ability to attach files to a message. These attachments can be emailed from one computer to a central email server, where they can be downloaded unto another computer. Email was designed for smaller amounts of data; many email systems place a limit on the size of individual files that can be transferred. Compressing files before emailing them can help workaround these limits.
By Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP, About.com
People throw out all kinds of things in the trash that can be used to collect information about them and potentially steal their identity. Bank statements, utility bills, magazines, pre-approved credit card solicitations and even other junk mail all contain clues about you.
Many people use some sort of paper shredder to turn all of these kinds of documents into confetti before throwing them out. They want to make sure that nobody can pick up their trash and gain information about them. When it comes to disposing of your computer system, or a hard drive from your computer system, you need to be just as diligent.
Computers continue to become obsolete within a year or two, maybe three, and many people upgrade their existing computers or buy an entirely new one. The old computer or equipment can often be difficult to dispose of because nobody else wants obsolete equipment either.
But, whether you give your computer equipment away, sell it on eBay or just set it at the curb with the rest of your trash, you need to take appropriate precautions to ensure your personal and confidential data does not get passed on.
A study by Simson Garfinkel, author of Database Nation, found that drives purchased on eBay routinely contain sensitive or confidential data. Garfinkel was able to purchase an old ATM machine hard drive on eBay that contained 827 unique account PIN numbers. He purchased another drive on eBay that had previously been owned by a medical center. That drive contained information on 31,000 credit card numbers.
Before you get rid of an old hard drive or computer, you need to make sure the data on the drive is impossible to recover. Frankly, data is almost always recoverable to some degree, but with the proper precautions you can at least make sure that Joe Shmoe who bought your hard drive from your garage sale can't access your Quicken financial information.
First, you should understand that deleting files, and even formatting your hard drive, are not sufficient. Both processes really just remove the information the hard drive needs to find the data, not the data itself. Deleted files can be undeleted and formatted hard drives can be recovered.
To be sure that your data is removed beyond all practical ability to recover it, you should use a wiping or erasing utility. These tools overwrite every sector of the hard drive with binary 1's and 0's. Those that meet government security standards even overwrite each sector multiple times for added protection.
Check out the tools below and be sure to adequately wipe or erase your hard drive before you get rid of it.
More Internet / Network Security Quick Tips
Related Articles
·Backing Up and Restoring Data
·Defragment PC Hard Drive - How to defragment a PC's Hard Drive Video - ...
·Fragmentation - What is Fragmentation?
Are you tired of having a bland, blank homepage? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could customize something you actually like to look at that's filled with the links you use regularly? I know I could use something like that and that's where today's cool site comes into play!
The great thing is, even if you decide you don’t like any of the options in the gallery, you can use the plain white or plain black and still be able to customize your homepage to meet your needs.
You will find all the directions you need on the Help FAQ page. That covers everything from setting up your personal links to how you can set your homepage with the Homepage FAQ section and even how to manage your cookies with the Cookie FAQ area.
The Start page galleries are viewable by: View All, Movies and TV, Music, Video Games and Other. You can also search for a theme by using the Search field in the top right hand corner. If you know what you're looking for, just type it in and search for it!
Once you have your theme all set up, customizing the page is very easy! Just choose what you want from the drop down boxes. For example, you can pick which search engine you want to use from the listing. For your links, select Custom from the drop down menu. That will give you new fields to fill out: one for the name you want it to display and one for the link itself.
Do you want to set up more links than just four? If so, when you’re on the Preferences page, there is a category on the right side called Advanced Options. Under that, you will find Extra Links. If you click on that, you instantly have four more slots you can fill with custom links!
Now, I have an extremely useful homepage that is equally nice to look at. I can check my e-mail, search the Internet and visit all the Web sites I love so much, all from one convenient location. Enjoy!
~ Amanda
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Do you have a
cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at
amanda@worldstart.com
Places to Find a Top Notch Virtual Assistant
Posted: 30 Dec 2008 08:24 AM PST
The phone has been ringing off
the hook, you have a paper that needs to be edited, and you don't remember when
you had an inbox contained fewer than 100 emails. The to do list is just out of
control and it's to the point that you can't tell where to start.
Although you have aspirations of a tremendously successful year, perhaps it's
time to admit that you can't do it all alone. Whether it's a blog, a business,
or both, how can you seek out opportunities for growth and expansion if you are
chained to a desk all day? The answer my friend, is finding someone that can
seemingly appear, get you caught up, and then disappear until you need
them again. The answer is a virtual assistant.
The only problem is finding someone that you can rely on and trust with, what
could be, your proprietary information. that remains is locating this superhero
that will save you from your dreaded "busy" work.
I'll show you all the hot spots where these tech-friendly, business-savvy,
superheros hang out. With a little work, you'll find someone that can take over
your busywork thus allowing you to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Best Places To Find Virtual Assistants
Also see
5 Ways to Find, Hire, and Use a Virtual Assistant.
What are your favorite services from the list above, or what have I missed
that you love to use?
|
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Written on 12/30/2008 by Alex Shalman. Alex does for personal development what Chuck Norris does for the world, and he's got a very bad (to the bone) Podcast on self-improvement. |
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
Version: 2.6
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows XP, 2000, 9.x
This Open Source image editor packs a surprising amount of power,
and is well-designed, if a bit eccentric in layout. Even though it's free, it
compares favorably to the power of Photoshop, and includes many of the kinds of
photo-editing tools that come with that program, including filters, effects,
masks, layers, and more.
--Preston Gralla
Read more and download this software:
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
Version: 3.36
File Size: 1567KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows
Vista, XP; Windows Server 2003
This surprisingly powerful image editing and manipulation tool
includes unlimited undos, special effects, and even the ability to work in
layers.
--Preston Gralla
Express Burn Free
Version: 4.15
File Size: 379KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows
Vista, XP, 2000, Me, NT, 9.x; Windows Server
2003
Express Burn Free is quite competent at burning data CDs, including
audio, as well as data DVDs. I liked the Express Burn Free interface. It's not
as fancy as some, but it's easy to intuit and use. You can't miss the huge
"Burn" button in the lower right corner. Every disc job I tried with the program
turned out fine.
--Jon L. Jacobi
Read more and download this software:
Express Burn Free
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
*********************
I no longer use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, but of course, updates from Microsoft still come through for them each month. Do I really need those updates or can I disable them completely?
A:
Wow, you
guys have really come up with some great questions lately. I'm so impressed! And
you're asking the right ones, because this is the type of question I'm sure
several of you have wondered about in the past. Now, before I go any further, I
just want to make sure we're all on the same page with what we're talking about.
So, come along with me as we check this one out. You don't want to miss it!
As you all know, Microsoft sends out their Windows Updates at the beginning of each month, which help to keep our computers safe and secure. Often times, those updates include material for some of Microsoft's own programs, such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. But with so many other Web browser and e-mail options these days, a lot of you no longer use those applications and it seems silly to continue receiving those updates. So, is it really necessary to keep getting them? The answer may surprise some of you.
Yes, you still need those updates. Even though you don't use those programs on a regular basis, they're still a part of your computer and you need to maintain them. That's especially true for Internet Explorer. If you don't use Outlook Express anymore and you're sure it will never be used again, you can stop its updates, but Internet Explorer really is a whole different ball game. As you may or may not know, Internet Explorer is an integral part of your operating system, as it contains certain components that help run Windows for you. That's right, it's not just a Web browser anymore!
Even more, a lot of those components are used by other applications on your computer besides Internet Explorer. One example is the HTML rendering engine. That is used by several other programs to display HTML content, but the main component lies within Internet Explorer. So, you see, if you don't run the Windows Updates for Internet Explorer, you will lose some of your HTML capabilities. That one alone could affect a lot of the work you do on your computer. And that's just one example of everything Internet Explorer includes.
So, if you've stopped installing the updates for Internet Explorer, you'll want to start receiving them again next month (the next batch will come through in just a few days for March 2008). If you don't update Internet Explorer, you're also missing out on the updates for all the other components I mentioned earlier. A lot of the programs you probably use on a daily basis rely on Internet Explorer to run properly, so don't take the chance of ruining those too. Simply install the updates each month and you'll be good to go. Wow, who knew Internet Explorer could be so important?!
~ Erin
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http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm
Minimalist’s Guide to Using Twitter Simply, Productively, and Funly
Posted: 21 Dec 2008 05:01 PM CST
This morning after our hill run my sister asked me about Twitter: “What’s Twitter all about? I don’t get it?”
Neither did I at first — I resisted using Twitter for more than a year because it seemed like just another distraction, just another way to waste time and have noisy chatter going on in front of you.
But I decided to see what the fuss was all about, and did my Great Twitter Experiment. To my surprise, Twitter was actually fun, interesting, and useful — if used correctly.
I’ve also found that Twitter isn’t something you can explain, and it’s not something you can understand until you’ve used it for at least a few days. You have to use it to get it.
I think that’s because Twitter can be so many things to so many people. One person might use it as a marketing tool, another to stay in touch with friends, another to collaborate with co-workers, and still others to stay informed about their favorite bloggers, websites, the latest gossip, reading, news and more.
Today we’ll look at some different ways you can use Twitter without spending too much time doing it.
A Minimalist Approach
When I first signed up for Twitter a few months ago, I followed a bunch of people I knew and was instantly fed with a stream of new “tweets” from all the people I was following. I read through all the tweets, but the stream just kept coming.
I’d wake up in the morning and try to read through all the tweets, or at least scan them. Then I’d try to keep up periodically throughout the day. It was stressful.
Then I learned the secret of Twitter: don’t try to keep up.
Twitter is like a river … you can step into it at any point and feel the water, bathe in it, frolic if you like … and then get out. And go back in at any time, at any point. But, you don’t have to try to consume the entire river — it’s impossible and frankly a waste of time in my eyes.
So that’s how I approach Twitter these days: I’ll just jump into the stream of incoming tweets and see what people are saying. I can ignore them or follow their links or reply if I want. Then I get out of the stream. I don’t try to read everything I missed, and if I miss a lot of stuff, I’m OK with that.
I’ve actually used this approach I learned from with other things, such as email, Facebook, RSS, news and other information. I don’t have to consume it all, but I can jump into the river anytime I like and read, reply if I like, and get back out. So what if I miss a ton of blog posts, news stories, and emails? Will my life fall apart?
The answer turns out to be no.
Simple Ways to Use Twitter
If you follow this minimalist approach, you don’t have to spend a lot of time using Twitter to get a lot out of it, no matter what your goals are.
Here are some guidelines and ideas for using Twitter that I’ve found to be useful:
Just for fun: check out Twittervision 3D for an incredible global representation of tweets at they happen around the globe in real time.
What are your tips for using Twitter
simply and funly? Share in the comments! Also feel free to
follow me on Twitter.
—
If you liked this article, please
share it on del.icio.us,
StumbleUpon or Digg.
I’d appreciate it. :)
How to Save Money on your Monthly Technology Bill
by Kevin Brand
Technology doesn't have to cost a bundle
With the holiday season quickly approaching, and families across the country facing uncertain and sometimes difficult economic times, many consumers are looking for ways to cut their household budgets. Cell phones, cable television, and the Internet have become mainstays in the home, but often can create an expense for families.
There are some things consumers can do, however, to switch to less expensive, but reliable services that can ease the pocketbook and serve your families' technology needs.
Below are tips to save money and reduce monthly technology bills:
Assess Your Needs
Look at the ways you use technology in your home. Take a week and monitor how often you are on the phone, watching television, or surfing the net. Once you see how much time you are using these services, compare it to your plan. Many people have access to high-speed Internet at work, making it unnecessary to pay for high-speed bells and whistles at home. The key is to avoid paying for excess.
Downgrade
Once you assess your needs, get rid of services that you aren't fully using. Are you downloading video and playing games or just checking email and sports scores on the Internet? If it's the latter, it doesn't make sense to pay for a high-end, super-fast Internet connection. A less expensive but safe and reliable service such as dial-up service, which some providers offer with a special Accelerator option, may be just what you need.
The same applies to your cable bill. Do you need the premium channels or DVR? Better yet, if you can watch most of your favorite shows online or you predominately watch shows on only a few channels, you may be able to downgrade your service to a cheaper plan. Be honest about what you really need, and don't pay for services you aren't using to their fullest potential.
Take Advantage of Freebies
Look for companies that offer free services. Some Internet providers offer free virus protection, which saves you from buying costly software yourself. Others offer free spam protection and other security enhancements, which is a good bet if you're looking to maximize savings and still surf safely. Also, leverage your Web access by surfing special cost-savings sites, like www.pricegrabber.com, www.bizrate.com or www.thedailydeals.com. Look for any special promotions your provider might offer on their home page. A lot of Internet providers have partnerships with other online merchants to offer special savings to their subscribers. If yours doesn't, consider looking for one that does. And sign-up for the email alerts from the companies that you already do business with to take advantage of special promotions.
Avoid Bundles
Advertisers may create a "need" that might not really exist for you. If you're a cost-conscious consumer, look closely at how much you're paying for popular, but often pricey, bundle packages that include phone, cable and Internet. It may be easier to pay all-on-one bill, but it doesn't allow you the flexibility to choose the best individual services that fit your lifestyle. Nor will a bundle provide the flexibility to adapt your services based on lifestyle or location changes. Also, promotional pricing may exist initially, but the price may go up while you're still locked into your bundle. So, you may not need all the "bells and whistles" or restrictions of a high-cost bundle. In fact, if you opt for options like Freestanding DSL for your Internet access, you might be able to ditch your home phone altogether.
Study Your Bill
Read the small print. Know what you are paying for and make sure you're only paying for services that you actually use. Also, be familiar with your contracts and look for changes to the Terms of Service. Know when your contract ends, so you don't unwillingly default into another one. And be aware that not all Internet providers offer free, 24/7 customer support. If your provider doesn't, you could be eating up dollars you don't need to spend.
Pay Smart
Finally, make sure you are taking advantage of special deals and incentives. Some service providers offer discounts up to 40% for annually pre-paying. Others offer special pricing for a year's commitment. And always ask for what you want from your provider. A customer-service focused Internet provider may be willing to give you credits if there's been a serious issue involving your service or account.
Bottom line: Remember to step back and assess the communications services you have, and decide if you are really using them to their maximum. If not, you might be able to save a substantial amount just by switching to less costly services. Technology is important, but during these challenging economic times, it's helpful to make small adjustments, so you can save money and cut down on monthly expenses.
_______________________
Kevin Brand is EarthLink's senior vice president of product management. He oversees a team responsible for EarthLink's suite of Internet service products, including dial-up access with Accelerator, DSL and cable high-speed, and EarthLink's Protection Control Center, which features free services that protect your e-mail and browser from viruses, spam, scams and other Internet intrusions. For more information about EarthLink Internet access and free e-mail security features, please visit www.earthlink.net.
Take the Next Step:
- Step back and assess the communications services you have, and decide if you are really using them to their maximum. If not, you might be able to save a substantial amount just by switching to less costly services.
- Subscribe to our new weekly "Inflation Fighters" newsletter by sending
<mailto:subscribe-InflationFighters@hub.thedollarstretcher.com> "Inflation Fighters" is a free email newsletter that will provide ways to help you save money as the cost of everyday items rise. Each issue features six or seven articles to help you stretch your dollar!
Okay, so what’s the catch? I keep seeing these little laptop computers around and they’re so cheap! I saw one for less than $200 the other day. Are they for real or are they too good to be true?
A:
Welcome
to the world of "netbooks."
These cute little laptop/notebook computers are starting to pop up all over
the place and for some users, they're going to be a virtual slam dunk!
Before we get started, I know there are more expensive netbooks that are really powerful and are priced accordingly, but for today, we're just going to focus on the inexpensive models.
First off, if for $200, you're expecting a powerhouse laptop running Windows Vista, sporting a large HD, lots of memory and plenty of power, you might as well forget it! I was looking over the specs for a few of them and I felt like I had stepped into the past when digital dinosaurs once roamed the Internet. We're talking 1 GB of RAM, a 1.2 Ghz processor and an 8 GB hard drive. Sure, some are more powerful, but the price climbs accordingly.
Another surprise is, in a lot of cases, the computers aren't even running Windows. Nope, they're running Linux (a free operating system that's largely used in Web servers, but is starting to gain some traction with desktop and laptop users).
Now, Linux is a great operating system. It's stable, uses minimal resources, boots up in seconds and it even has a good interface. However, getting extra software for it depends on your ability to find it online and hardware drivers can be very difficult to come by.
However, extras for netbook computers may not be a problem, as many of them don't allow you to add outside applications or hardware anyway. What you get when you buy it is pretty much what you get (unless the vendor offers you more pricey proprietary goodies).
Oh, and did I mention the keyboards can be impossibly small for some fingers? I personally hate a regular laptop keyboard, so an even smaller one would put me over the edge!
Now, the question of the day: Why on earth would anyone buy a netbook?
Well, consider the way most people use their computers. They surf the Web, check e-mail, chat, do a little word processing or spreadsheeting, maybe download their digital camera files and perhaps manage their music. If that's all you do, why fork out a few hundred more for an expensive laptop running Vista? A netbook may just be what you need.
Plus, they're the perfect size to take with you anywhere. Forget hauling your big laptop around! Netbooks are much smaller in comparison. If you're just checking the Web or your e-mail while you're on the road, they would work really well. In fact, I know for the majority of my travels, a netbook is probably all I would need.
So, are they worth it? Well, that all depends on what you're going to do with it. My advice is to really look over the computer and what software and hardware it includes. Can it do everything you want it to do or is it going to come up shy? Will it work okay with your MP3 player/iPod? Does it have a card reader? How does it connect to the Internet? Does it use standard wireless? Can it use a service from your mobile phone provider? Can you install other software on it? Those are just a few questions you should be asking.
Overall, just remember that you get what you pay for. Netbooks can be a fantastic deal if they fit your needs, but a source of real frustration if they don't.
Side Note: Your best bet may be a Windows based netbook that maybe isn't up to "full" notebook power, but still outclasses the $200 netbooks we've been discussing. If nothing else, you know you can install software on it (just make sure it has a CD/DVD ROM drive) and any USB hardware you plug in should work. It's just something new to think about!
~ Steve
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Have you ever tried to install a program and it just wouldn't go? You know, you try it several times, but no matter what you do, it just doesn't install properly. I bet almost everyone out there has run into this at least once and today, I'm going to share a tip with you that I use daily when helping people install programs.
You know about safe mode, right? It's the way a computer can be started to try and fix problems when it won't boot up correctly. Safe mode is great for fixing major problems, but most of the time, it's too restrictive to try and fix less troublesome issues. If you're having trouble installing a program and safe mode doesn't help you, you may want to try a lesser known startup mode, called clean boot.
The clean boot mode is somewhat like safe mode. It makes the computer start up with fewer features running and no background programs. The main difference is while safe mode won't allow you to do many things with your programs, the clean boot mode will. That way, you can start your computer in the clean boot mode, try to install the troublesome program and finally succeed. So, without further ado, here's how you can start your computer in the clean boot mode!
For Windows XP:
1.) Go to Start, Run.
2.) Type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) and click OK.
3.) Under the General tab, you should see that your computer is on Normal Startup. Select Selective Startup and then uncheck the following boxes:
When you're finished with that, your screen will look like the picture below:
Note: If your computer was already on Selective Startup, you may want to consider not finishing this tip. If your system is already set that way, someone has already modified your startup configurations. Therefore, you may end up altering those configurations by switching over to the clean boot and that may cause undesired results.
4.) Next, go to the Services tab and put a check next to "Hide all Microsoft services." Then click on the Disable All button.
5.) Click OK and you will be prompted to restart your computer.
After your system restarts, it will be in the clean boot mode. Try to install the program you were having trouble with. After you're done, you'll need to put your system back into the normal mode. Here's how:
1.) Go to Start, Run.
2.) Type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) and click OK.
3.) Under the General tab, select Normal Startup.
4.) Click OK and then restart your computer once more.
For Windows Vista:
1.) Go to Start and type "msconfig" (without the quotes) in the search box. Then hit Enter on your keyboard.
2.) If you're prompted for an Administrator password or for a confirmation, type in the password or click Continue.
3.) You'll then see a screen labeled "System Configuration." On that screen, select Selective Startup and uncheck the box that says "Load startup items."
Note: If your computer was already on Selective Startup, you may want to consider not finishing this tip. If your system is already set that way, someone has already modified your startup configurations. You may end up altering those configurations by switching over to the clean boot and that may cause undesired results.
4.) Next, go to the Services tab and put a check next to "Hide all Microsoft services." Then click on the Disable All button.
5.) Click OK and you'll be prompted to restart your computer.
After your system restarts, it will be in the clean boot mode. Try to install the program you were having trouble with. After you're done, you'll need to put your system back into the normal mode. Here's how:
1.) Go to Start, type "msconfig" (without the quotes) in the search box and hit Enter on your keyboard.
2.) If you're prompted for an Administrator password or for a confirmation, type in the password or click Continue.
3.) You'll then see a screen labeled "System Configuration." On that screen, select Normal Startup and click OK.
After your computer restarts again, you'll be back to normal. Yes!
~ Gary
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PhotoRescue
Wizard
Version: 3.1.7.11394
File Size: 3192 KB
License Type: Demo
Price: $29
Operating Systems: Windows
Vista, XP, 2000
If you've ever felt that twinge of regret the moment you hit the
Delete button on your digital camera, rest assured the image is probably
recoverable--provided you use a tool like PhotoRescue Wizard. The utility scans
the entire writable portion of your memory card and saves every recoverable byte
of data to your hard drive. If there are photos on the card, it will probably be
able to recover them.
--Andrew Brandt
Read more and download this software:
PhotoRescue Wizard
Migratr
Version: 1.03
File Size: 636KB
Price: Free
Operating Systems: Windows
Vista, XP
If you've spent hours uploading your photos to a photo
sharing/hosting service, you no longer need to feel you're locked in. Migratr
can move entire photo gallery accounts from one service to another. The tool
supports 23HQ,
AOL
Pictures, Faces.com, Flickr, Picasa Web, Phanfare, SmugMug, Zenfolio, and Zooomr,
as well as photo galleries that run under Menalto Gallery. Migratr can also be
used as a photo uploading utility for any of the sites it supports.
--Andrew Brandt
Read more and download this software:
Migratr
Browse the PCWorld.com Downloads library
Instead of a download today, I thought I'd tell you about a little trick that has saved me so many times! Internet Explorer 7 has some great features that can be customized for usability and security reasons. Those features are usually helpful, but they can sometimes get messed up. Often times, the best way to fix those types of problems is to just reset IE back to its original settings. If you feel like your Internet Explorer 7 Web browser isn't quite working right, you might want to follow along with the steps below. They'll help you put IE 7 back to the way it was when you first installed it. Here we go!
1.) Go to Start, Control Panel.
2.) Click on Network and Internet Connections. (Note: If you have your Control Panel set to the Classic View, skip steps 2 and 3. Just double click on Internet Options instead and advance to step 4).
3.) Click on Internet Options.
4.) Go under the Security tab and click on the "Reset all zones to default level" button. If that button is grayed out, just go to step 5.
5.) Under the Privacy tab, click on the Default button. If your Default button is grayed out, go on to step 6.
6.) Under the Advanced tab, click on the Reset button.
7.) A new box will then open. Click on the Reset button one more time.
8.) After the steps are finished, click Close. Now, click OK in the Internet Options box and then restart your computer.
And you're done! After you restart your computer, open Internet Explorer 7. You'll see that it's back to the way it was when you first installed it. Nice and shiny and new. Enjoy!
~ Gary
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Simple Steps To Start Podcasting
Posted: 09 Dec 2008 06:42 AM PST
Are you one of those
hard-headed individuals that prefers to reinvent the wheel each time instead of
learning from the experience of others? Don’t be. After going through a
laborious week of research, question asking, and more research, I've finally got
Podcasting all figured out. I'll help you learn what took me about 40 hours --
in the next 4 minutes.
I'm not claiming that my way is the only way, or the best way, but I guarantee
that it's the simplest and fastest way to turn your Podcast from an idea into a
tangible product that people can listen to. Now that I'm in the know, I present
you the simplest 6 steps to start podcasting.
I've presented you with all the technical information that you're going to need
to start Podcasting, but what quality of Podcast can this system really provide?
Boy, I gave you all this free info and you're doubting me? Haha, don't worry,
I'm not offended, I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is and show you the
quality work that this system can produce.
Go ahead and check out my
Practical Personal Development Podcast (this link opens up iTunes), which
features expert interviews on ways to become happier, healthier, and more
productive. Just think, one month ago, I didn't even have an intention to
Podcast, and now it's all up and running.
You've got the technical data, you've got the proof, but there's still a large
chance that you aren't going to make this Podcast. The last ingredient is
courage, and my suggestion is that you don't worry about your voice, saying the
right things, your technical skills, or if you'll have enough time. I'm sure you
can get one of these up and running, just take the first step -- just do it!
|
|
Written on 12/08/2008 by Alex Shalman who is the author of How to Get a Girlfriend and Practical Personal Development Blog and Podcast. |
getting rid of unused network icons
Q:
It seems like I have a lot of unused
network icons sitting down in my system tray. Is there any way I can get rid of
some of those? I'd really like to clean that area up. Thanks for your help!
A:
Oooh,
good question! I definitely know what you're talking about when you ask this
question, because I have the same problem. Every time I look down in my system
tray to see what time it is, my eyes are bombarded by a whole slew of
unnecessary icons. Most of them are related to my network, but they just sit
there for no good reason. And to be honest, I don't even know what half of them
are for! So, if your system tray is filling up with unwanted network icons and
you'd like to clear some of them out, follow along with this tip to find out how
you can do just that!
First of all, I want to make sure everyone knows what kind of icons we're talking about. Your network icons can be anything from your network card to your wireless connection to your local area connection and so on. If you don't use some of those things anymore, it only makes sense to get rid of them, right? So, let's get started!
Once you decide which icons you'd like to remove, just right click on one and choose Status. That will bring up the Status window for that particular network icon. Next, click on the Properties button. From there, look toward the bottom of the window and uncheck the boxes that say "Show icon in notification area when connected" and "Notify me when this connection has limited or no connectivity." Those two settings mainly deal with your network connections, but once you have them all set up, your icons will disappear!
Now, there's another alternative, but it's a little more involved, so do it at your own risk. It really helps in certain cases though. For example, if you use this method for your wireless card, it can actually lengthen the life of your battery. To get started, right click on the icon you want to remove and choose Status. From there, click on the Disable button. By doing that, you're actually disabling your network connection, which will also turn off the hardware that goes with it. In the case of your wireless card, it will shut that down, which will dramatically lower your power usage.
If you ever need to enable a network connection again, you can do so by going to Start, Control Panel, Network Connections. There you will see a list of all your connections, whether they're disabled or not. To reconnect one, just right click on it and hit Enable. Also, if you ever want to bring one of your icons back, simply do the very first set of instructions in reverse. If you just simply checkmark the two options listed above, your icons will come back to life! That's it. It sure is nice to clean up your computer from time to time, isn't it?!
~ Erin
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