Announcements

Finally! Backups Made Easy! (really easy)

OK, you know the drill. You should backup your computer. Now - be honest - do you "forget" to back up from time to time? It's OK, I have a hard time getting to it myself - it's such a pain in the digital rear.

Well, all that ended for me when I started using a fantastic program called Drive Image 2002. It makes backing up your entire computer incredibly easy. And easy is good, right?

What this software does is to make an "image" (exact copy) of your hard drive. Now, this image can be created on another hard drive, a partition of your current drive (it can painlessly create this for you - don't worry), or on a set of CD ROMS - whatever you prefer. It's fast and extremely easy to do.

The great thing? It only took me 20 minutes to back up my entire hard drive! Should my 15 month old son decide to push my laptop down the stairs, it won't be as bad as it could have been (I'll still be crying though :-)

Think about all the info and programs you have on your computer. If disaster strikes, what will happen? Will it take weeks to get back to normal - assuming you even can get back to normal?

With this fantastic software you can back up your computer with ease - insuring that when you experience the inevitable hard drive crash, destructive virus, nasty hacker, or even bad software install you can be up and running again in no time.

This current version of Drive Image sells for $69.95 at most retail stores - your price is only $34.97! Yes - that's HALF OFF! And yes, US shipping is FREE! Here's the link for more info:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/drive-image-2002.htm

Warning - Don't delay - head to the site ASAP! Quantities are limited and these are going to be sold on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to get in on this one - I can't recommend it highly enough!

Computers 101

Q:
Is there a way to make AOL Instant Messages a bit more instantaneous?

A:
Sure is...

Simply hold down the Control button and hit Enter after you have finished typing and away your message goes.

When sending an e-mail, you can also use the same mouse-less feature. Ctrl+Enter will send your e-mail off to its eager recipient.

--Jody Crabtree in Wichita, Kansas, USA

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

Tip of the Day

Surge Protection

You have a surge protector on your computer. But now you want to know, should you have gotten one that you can use with your phone lines as well? Is that really necessary?

It's actually good advice. When we think of power surges, we tend to picture power line problems. Well, telephone wires can also carry a dangerous surge into your computer. I've repaired (and seen) more than a few computers that were damaged due to telephone line power surges.

Most people don't know it, but phone line surges are more likely to cause damage than power line surges. Why? Your computer's power supply acts as a built in surge protector. Even if a surge gets through your regular surge protector, the power supply may be able to keep it from doing any damage.

That's not to say that you shouldn't have a good surge protector. There have been lots of computers damaged because they didn't have a surge protector between them and the wall outlet.

Finally, when you buy a surge protector, try to find something better than those little power strip things. Although they are better then nothing, they are notoriously unreliable and most won't tell you when they are no longer protecting your equipment. One good surge and your protection is gone - but they continue to function as a power strip. Most computer and electronics stores can sell you a good quality surge protector.

Oh, before you ask, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is your best bet for surge protection. They supply power to your computer from a built in battery. The power is always "clean" and should the power go out, they give you a few minutes (or more) of battery time to save and shut down. We use them here at WorldStart.

Have a tip for the newsletter? Submit it below:
http://www.worldstart.com/writers-guidelines/index.htm

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Bad Fads Museum

Welcome to the Bad Fads Museum where you can take a look at all the bad fads of the past. This site is divided into four central units: Fashion, Activities, Collectibles, and Events. Follow an alphabetical listing of bad fads in Fashion and you’ll experience every thing from Afro’s to Zubaz. Are these a blast from your past?

Upon entering this site, I was most fascinated by what activities were considered to be bad fads. There I found 3D movies, unicycles, fallout shelters, and hacky sack just to name a few. Go experience all the bad fads provided. This one was unique!

http://www.badfads.com/home.html

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