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What A Gem!

Ooh, did I find a good one this time!

I'm so excited! We have a program called MasterCook Deluxe and it is probably the BEST cookbook software I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot)!

First off, it has 15 cookbooks that have a combined total of over 4,000 recipes! A few of the cookbooks include: Casual Dining, Quick Fix, Delicious Desserts, Deluxe Appetizers, Hot Off the Grill, International Classics, Kid Approved, Meal Time, Meat Lovers, Morning Meals, Vegetarian Favorites and MORE!

My favorite part? The nutritional calculator. I've been trying to lose some weight and this program makes it easy. Just click the Nutritional Analysis button and you'll get a screen full of info. For example, I was looking at the Candy Cane Coffee Cakes (some dieter huh?) and found that a serving has 260 calories, 28% of which are from fat, 65% from carbohydrates, and 7% from protein. In addition, it also gives you the percentage of daily values per serving. From what I can tell, it would take a LOT of coffee cake to get my daily requirement of vitamins.

Searching this thing is also incredible. For example, if you want a recipe that has tomatoes but not mayonnaise, you can do it! Fantastic for those who are on a strict diet or who are sensitive to certain foods.

It also lets you put your favorite recipes into a "favorites" section, has an awesome glossary of cooking terms, includes fantastic "how to" type videos, has an incredible meal planner, can print out shopping lists, and can even scale recipes so you make exactly the amount you need.

What about your recipes? This program lets you add 'em! Is that cool or what? It makes keeping organized almost too easy.

How about exchanging recipes? Easy! Download new ones from the web! Oh, and you can even e-mail your recipes to friends!

Whew, that's the highlight show, but it barely scratches the surface of what this program can do. The price? It's only $14.97 and US Shipping is FREE! (retail is $29.95) Again, this is easily the best CD ROM cookbook I've ever seen and I can't recommend it highly enough! Here's the link - go there now!

http://www.worldstart.com/store/mastercook-deluxe-62.htm

PS - Please! Don't miss out! This cookbook really is fantastic and is a must have. Oh, and remember - we have our 30 day satisfaction guarantee - if you don't think it's a great as I say it is just send it back for a fast, courteous refund! You have nothing to lose!

Computers 101

Q:
Why do I have to scroll from left to right on many of the web sites I visit? Even with my browser maximized on my 17" monitor, I'm still scrolling! Any Ideas?

A:
This could be the result of a couple problems. The most likely problem is that your screen resolution is set too low. It's probably at 640x480 and most sites are designed with the assumption you're using a resolution of 800x600 (the most common).

To check / change your monitor resolution, right-click your desktop and select Properties. Next, click the Settings tab. You'll see a little slider gizmo that goes left to right. Make sure it's set to 800x600 or higher (the higher you go, the smaller an item will appear on your screen, so don't go too far).

Here's a sample shot (note that my resolution is set really high - this is because the LCD screen on my laptop looks best at that particular resolution. Most regular monitors wouldn't look that hot at 1400 x1050, so don't feel that you have to set yours to match mine).

Click OK. You may need to re-start.

The other possibility is that the site you're looking at is poorly designed. My site is designed for an 800x600 resolution, but I have it set at 750 pixels wide to allow for the sides of the browser window. If it was set to 800, you would still have to scroll a little unless your monitor was set higher than 800x600.

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

Tip of the Day

Scanning Resolution

So, you have a photo and want to scan it. Well, what resolution should you scan it at?

Depends.

If the photo is just for your computer, e-mail, or the web, then 72 DPI (Dots Per Inch) would be just fine. (72 DPI is kind of the "standard" resolution for computer images). If you scan it too high (say 600 DPI), you'll end up having an image that's way too big to work with - both in height / width and in file size. Remember, people don't like downloading 10 meg picture files.

If you want to print photos from the scan, then the best rule of thumb is 300 DPI - assuming you want to print a picture that's the same size or smaller than the original.

OK, now it's going to get a little more confusing (just wanted to warn ya).

What if you have a 3x5 print and you want to enlarge it to a 5x7? In that case, you would need to scan it HIGHER then 300 DPI (like 500 DPI or so). Otherwise, when you go to enlarge it, you won't maintain the 300 DPI needed for photo quality. Here's why:

At 300 DPI a 3x5 picture measures 900x1500 pixels. However, a 5x7 at 300 DPI is 1500x2100 pixels. So, unless you add more pixels to the scan, you aren't going to have enough to enlarge the 3x5 to a 5x7 and still maintain the 300 DPI resolution.

Now, you can do the math and figure out the exact resolution you need to scan at (in this case 420 DPI), but it's usually easier just guess at a higher, round number (like 500) then re-size it in your imaging software. It's complex enough as it is, no need to make it harder!

Oh, your software may be able to "force" the image to stay 300 DPI through some kind of dot manipulation, but it isn't the same. Avoid making your image higher resolution through your software whenever you can. It's always better to scan it higher, then reduce it if need be.

Now, depending on your printer, you may be able to get away with less than 300 DPI. I have gone down to 225 DPI and still had a really good print, but I'm using a photo quality printer too.

Finally, this is all theory - you may find that you like the results you get when you scan in a photo at 300 DPI, enlarge it, then print it. Everyone accepts different levels of quality when it comes to this stuff and I know that it's very subjective (I used to be a photographer a career back or so ago).

PS - If you're wondering what printer I use, it's a HP 970 series. When used with the HP premium photo paper, it will print photographs better than most photo labs. Plus, it's nice and quick when it comes to printing out B&W text.

--Steve

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http://www.worldstart.com/submitatip.htm

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Crystal of Doom

A little fun for a Friday... This is an ASCII film made by Kenneth Becker. It is the story of the Crystal of Doom. Well written, extremely well coded, and most definitely worth five minutes of your time.

The plot: The Crystal of Doom is residing at the Pelican museum next to the Eat At Joe's sign. An alien swoops down, breaks into the museum and steals the crystal. With the crystal gone, is all hope lost? What does the alien plan to do with this Crystal of Doom?

To find out, go to... http://www.geocities.com/ken_the_computer_guy/kenfilm.htm

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