Announcements

Weekly Download

We have a new section at WorldStart! It's the weekly download and it can be found on our homepage.

The idea?

Well, we've had a lot of people ask about program downloads. So, we decided to try and find a freebie piece of software each week for you. Kind of our way of saying "Thanks" for being a subscriber.

This week's download is the Atomic Clock. It's a handy little program we found that can help you keep your computer's time correct. It's posted on our homepage (you'll have to scroll down to get to it). Here's the address:

http://www.worldstart.com

Enjoy!

Oh, and yes, we'll have an archive of all of these too :-)

Computers 101

Q:
I notice that sometimes when I click an e-mail link I get a new message with the subject line already inserted. Is this some kind of programming trick or can anyone pull it off?

A:
Actually, it's very easy to do. Below is a sample with my e-mail address inserted. When the link is clicked, a new message will start with "hi steve" as the subject.

mailto:steve@worldstart.com?subject=hi steve

Note that if the person who clicks it is using AOL or web-based e-mail that this probably isn't going to work. Their e-mail software may start (AOL), but I'm not sure if there's gonna be a subject line that says "hi steve". If you use web-based e-mail this is a for sure no-go.

Anyhow, here's how it all works with compatible software:

mailto: - This tells your web browser or e-mail client that the link you're clicking is an e-mail link and to start your e-mail program. With most e-mail software, this "mailto" part is automatically inserted (in a sneaky, behind the scenes sort of way) when you type an e-mail address and hit enter.

steve@worldstart.com - This is just the e-mail address you want the message sent to.

?subject= - This tells the software that you want whatever comes after the "=" sign to be in the subject line of the e-mail.

hi steve - OK, here's the tricky part. This is where you specify what you want automatically inserted in the subject line. Note that there is a space between the words "hi" and "steve". If you type this into Outlook Express (and most other e-mail clients), you'll find that it only links the word "hi", not "steve" (nope, computers still can't read minds).

So, what's the trick? Use an "insert hyperlink" tool. Most e-mail programs will have this, and, surprisingly enough, it's usually found under the Insert menu.

Let's try an example using Outlook Express. Start a new mail message and hit the Insert menu, Hyperlink... Note that you can only do this from the new message screen, not the main program.

On the resulting screen, type:

mailto:steve@worldstart.com?subject=hi steve

Note that you can pull the "mailto:" part down from the little drop box so you don't have to type it.

Click the OK button and you're all set. When your link is clicked, the subject line you specified will be put in automatically.

What if you send in plain text and can't insert a hyperlink? Well, it's not as pretty, but you can use something like:

mailto:steve@worldstart.com?subject=hi-steve

The little dash between the words "hi" and "steve" keep the string together. When your recipient gets the e-mail, their software will probably make the link "clickable" (who knows, maybe your software made it clickable when you hit Enter).

Anyhow, using this method, you'll get a subject line that looks like:

hi-steve

Not too terribly bad I guess.

Happy e-mailing :-)

Have a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link below:
http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm

Tip of the Day

Drag & Drop Opens

Web Link - http://www.worldstart.com/tips/dragdropopen.htm

Here's a quick little one for ya.

Did you know that most programs allow you to open files by dragging & dropping them into their window? Well, they do. Really.

For example, let's say you have a picture file sitting on your desktop and your imaging software is already running. Just drag & drop the file into the program and it should open (again, this doesn't work with every program out there, but ya don't know till ya try).

This is really handy if you tend to have a lot of programs open at once.

Guess what? Just when you thought this couldn't get any better, it does! You can use this trick to open multiple files at once. Select the files you want, then just drag and drop the group to your program. (Note - if you need help in the multiple selection dept, head to http://www.worldstart.com/tips/selsavvy.htm )

Here's a shot of me opening 4 pictures at once. Let me tell ya, it was pretty exciting. My mouse is still quivering.

What if the program you want to drag to is minimized on your toolbar? Not a problem - Just drag your file to its little button and hold (don't let go of that left mouse button). After a couple seconds the program window will open and you'll be able to drop the file into it.

Imagine how cool you'll look at the next computer expo with this little gem...

Have a tip for the newsletter? Submit it below:
http://www.worldstart.com/submitatip.htm

Cool Site of the Day

Wacky Uses

Have you ever wanted to know what you could do with certain household supplies such as Baking Soda, Mr. Coffee Filters, or even a Slinky?

This website has a great compilation of household supplies and a list of wacky things you can do with those supplies.

Hmm, now I can take those Wilson Tennis Balls I have laying around and use them to fluff the down in my jacket next time I throw it in the washer. Who knew?

http://www.wackyuses.com/uses.html

Do you have a cool site that you want to share? Send it to us! Here's the address:

jonathon@worldstart.com

Oh, and we're looking for non-commercial sites. We generally don't run sites that are strictly for shopping.