Announcements

Got Law?

We are continuing to sell tons of the Quicken Lawyer 2002 software, so a big thanks to all who took advantage of this fantastic deal.

Did you miss out? Don't worry, you can still get in on this deal!

Again, we have both the Personal and Business editions of this software for only $24.97ea or you can get them both for $39.95! US Shipping is FREE and you have our 30 day satisfaction guarantee - if you don't like it we'll take it back (even if you've opened it!). The average online price for this is $45.00 or so plus just about everyone else is going to charge shipping and handling for it. So, yes, it's one heck of a good deal.

Quicken Personal Lawyer Deluxe -

This is awesome. It covers just about any legal form the average person would ever need. It includes forms that cover wills, living trusts, healthcare directive, final arrangements, child care agreement, authorization for a minor's medical care, elder care agreement, authorization to drive a motor vehicle, notice of death, notice to terminate joint credit card accounts, pet care agreement, request for birth certificate, power of attorney, and tons more.

Quicken Business Lawyer Deluxe -

This is my favorite and I use it all the time.

This new version is better than ever. It is divided into categories and really explains what you need in any given situation. In fact, this program even comes with a free (paper) book - Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law.

In addition to that, it includes seven best selling business law books to help you with just about every legal problem you could come up against. Topics include: starting and running a small business, legal forms for small business, employers legal handbook, domain names, how to write a business plan, tax info, marketing without advertising, and tons more. It's not only legal help, but also a fantastic guide to running a successful business.

Of course, it is full of legal forms - over 150 of them - including stuff for choosing a business structure, getting licenses, insuring your business, borrowing / lending money, protecting trade secretes, buying a business, hiring / firing employees, hours / wages / benefits, working with independent contractors, dealing with IRS audits, and tons (and tons and tons) more.

The links to both editions are below and each page has an option for buying both if you like:

Here's the link to the Personal Edition:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/quicken-lawyer-personal-deluxe-02.htm

Here's the link to the Business Edition:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/quicken-lawyer-business-deluxe-02.htm

PS - Don't miss this one. I use both of these programs on a regular basis and they have saved me tons of legal fees.

Computers 101

Q:
I just got a digital camera and was trying to download my photos on to my computer when I received a "not TWAIN compliant" error? What is TWAIN?

A:
TWAIN is an industry wide standard that allows a computer to communicate with a graphic device, such as a scanner or digital camera. Nearly all scanners, digital cameras, and web cams are TWAIN compliant.

Devices that are not TWAIN compliant will usually only work with very specific software, which usually comes with the device, while a TWAIN compliant device will usually work with a wide range of software.

For instance, Microsoft Word supports acquiring an image from a twain compliant camera or scanner, as does Word Perfect, Adobe PhotoShop, Scansoft Paperport, OmniPage Pro, and so on.

Such software is known as TWAIN compliant software in order to differentiate it from the TWAIN compliant device (hardware). The cables used for the TWAIN device must also be TWAIN compliant. For instance, a standard printer cable is not TWAIN compliant and will not work correctly with a scanner even if the connections fit. (Devices and cables will be marked, on the package or on the hardware itself, as TWAIN compliant, if they are.)

TWAIN compliancy also comes with a number designation, which simply indicates if the hardware or software meets the CURRENT standards, or if it is an older legacy product. The current standard is for 1184 TWAIN compliance.

On an interesting note, the debate rages on as to the origins of the word "TWAIN." Was it born as an acronym for Technology Without An Interesting Name or was the name originally lifted from Kipling's "and never the twain shall meet..." referring to the difficulty of connecting PC's and scanners?

-- Lee Trulove

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

Tip of the Day

Pictures in E-Mail (Part 1 of 2)

One of the most commonly asked questions I get is, "How do I put pictures in e-mail?"

Today, we're going to look at getting the picture to be an appropriate size for e-mail. Tomorrow, we’ll discover how to actually insert and send.

The Right Size
Have you ever gotten a picture via e-mail that was WAY too big? Or maybe too small? Sure, some e-mail programs let you set the size you want the picture to be, but that's not the best way to do it. Who wants to download a 10 meg picture file that should have only been 10K?

What's the "right" size? Well, that depends on the photo. Most monitors display at 72 dpi (dots per inch). So, if you want the picture to be 5 inches wide (probably about the biggest you would want for an e-mail message), the picture would be 360 pixels wide (5 inches x 72 dpi = 360 pixels).

So, how do you make the picture the right size? Use your imaging software! Most scanners and digital cameras come with some sort of imaging software that will allow you to resize an image.

Open the picture in your imaging software and resize the image to your desired resolution. You can usually do this via an Image or Edit menu. Your menu style and commands may vary depending on your software.

Usually, you'll get a screen that lets you input the image size in pixels. If there's a checkbox that allows you to constrain proportions, make sure that's checked (this insures that when you change the height or width the picture remains proportional).

That should do it. Since you've changed the picture size, you may want to save it under a different name. Use the Save As command under the File menu of your imaging software.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how to actually place the picture in your e-mail.

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

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Cirque du Soleil

*Warning: This site requires Macromedia Flash. If you don’t have it, get it here.*

Welcome to the homepage of Cirque du Soleil (Circus of the Sun). If you haven’t heard of them, then this will be quite a interesting experience for you. Here, at their homepage, you can learn about the Circus’s beginnings and so much more. But first you need to choose English or French in which to view the site.

To navigate the site scroll over the glowing lights to view the destination path. Click on the one you would like to enter or use the menus at the bottom. This site is packed with beautiful sights, sounds, and sensations. Exceptionally well done. This is one of the most beautiful sites I've seen yet! Go explore now...

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/default.htm

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com