Announcements

It's Back!! My Type Artist!

Man this is popular! We get 'em, they sell out, we get 'em, they sell out. Well, we thought we had seen the last of these, then we came across another supplier who had some - and we grabbed them as fast as we could!

This software allows you to take a word or sentence and turn it into a graphical font. OK, that doesn't sound all that spectacular, so look at this:

Cool huh?

Once you create your "text art" you can then save it in a variety of formats and use it in just about any graphics program ever created. It includes 1,000 different type styles that can be arranged in 90,000 combinations. The possibilities are endless. Heck, it took 30,000 designer hours just to create these fonts! 

Oh, and this software is really easy to use - it takes about 5 minutes to learn the basics. It's way easier than trying to design something in a graphics program, that's for sure. I know it's the best font program I've ever worked with!

Your price is just $9.97 and US shipping is FREE! If you do any kind of print projects, this is a must have. For the price, you can't go wrong. For more info and samples, head to:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/my-typeartist.htm

Note that we have sold over 700 of these to date - it would have been much higher but we ran out. We only have 200 of these right now, so if you want one get to the site ASAP - these aren't gonna last!

McAfee QuickClean

Here's another one we wish we could find more of. We did manage 30 or so the other day - not enough, but we still wanted to make a quick mention of it. Again, this helps keep your HD clear of clutter and protects your privacy. Here's the link:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/quick-clean.htm

Sorry in advance for selling out.

>> Not A Blast - Please Read - Virus Alert <<

As you've probably heard by now, the MSBlast virus is spreading like digital wildfire. This bugger has infected around 60,000 computers as of this writing and is continuing to multiply.

This virus causes your computer to shut off every 15 min, tries to use your computer to infect others, and tries to slow down the MS Update site though denial of service attacks. So, if you can't seem to keep your computer running, now you know why.

The best way to deal with this is to make sure your computer is patched and up to date (a patch that's been available for about a month now). Win 95/98/ME users are OK, but if you're running XP, 2000, or NT better get the patch:

Click Here

It's just a short scroll down the page. Oh, XP users note that there are 32 and 64 bit patches. Most of you (99%) have 32 bit systems and the 64 bit folks know who they are.

If you think you already have the patch installed, you can check by hitting the Start button, Settings, Control Panel, Add / Remove Programs - or XP users can open My Computer, then click the Add or Remove Programs link on the left.

Scroll down and see if you find a patch that includes the numbers:

823980

If you do, you're already good to go. If you don't - or you're not sure - go ahead and download the patch (hey, it ain't your bandwidth :-).

You won't hurt anything if it's already installed, and you'll have that piece of mind that can only come from owning a Microsoft product.

Computers 101

Q:
I just upgraded from Windows 98 to 2000, and at work I have XP. I can't figure out how to get to the MS-DOS prompt. Where did it go?

A:
Older versions of Windows had the MS-DOS prompt conveniently located in the programs file. For some reason, Windows 2000 and XP buried it in Accessories and renamed it "Command Prompt".

To get a DOS prompt in Windows 2000 or XP, you can go the long way... Start, Programs, Accessories, and select "Command Prompt", or you can simply go to Start, Run, type in "CMD" and click OK.

There you have it, your long lost friend waiting for your command.

~David

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

Tip of the Day

Updating Drivers

Keeping drivers up to date can help your computer run better, add features to your existing equipment, and/or make the device run faster. Of course, it can also make a piece of hardware compatible with a new operating system (like if you've gone from Win 98 to XP).

Sounds like a no brainier huh? Well, for every good there is an evil... and drivers have their dark side, too (watch out Yoda!)

Sometimes updating a driver can cause more problems then it solves. The internet is full of horrific driver update stories. Little devices strewn out all over the information highway like myopic raccoons. When driver updates go bad, it can be incredibly difficult to get things up and running the way they should again. I hear FOX is going to make a TV show about it soon (OK, maybe I just made that up).

So, what should you do?

My advice is to update with care. Here are about the only three reasons I go for an updated driver:

1. Device Problems - If I have a device that is buggy and just not acting right, I'll look for an updated driver to fix the problem.

2. Better Performance - If I see the manufacturer has issued an updated driver that makes the hardware perform better or do something extra I need, then I'll update.

3. Software Compatibility - If I have a piece of software that needs an updated driver to work with my hardware, that's another reason for me to update. In addition, if I switch to a bigger, buggier version of Windows, an updated driver may be a good idea.

Note that I don't update my driver just because I can. If I find that my current driver and hardware are getting along and doing what I need, I'm not going to take a chance on an update. Nor will I update so that my hardware is compatible with software I don't own. Unless a driver meets one of my 3 conditions mentioned above, I stick with what I have.

Now I bet you're wondering, "Gee, that's great Steve, but how do I update my drivers?"

Well, it all depends on the manufacturer.

The most common (and easiest) driver update is simply an ".exe" type file that runs a little setup program. You download it, double-click it, the setup program runs, and it's a done deal. The most you'll have to do is re-start your computer.

Another way is through the use of an "inf" file. Some of these, when right-clicked, will give a menu option to install the driver. Others (most) inf files don't. You have to update the driver manually. Here's how:

1. Right-click My Computer, Properties.

2. Next, go to the device manager tab and select the hardware item you would like to update (Win 2000 and Win XP users, head to the Hardware tab and hit the Device Manager button). You'll probably need to click the plus (+) sign next to each category in order to actually get to a specific piece of hardware.

3. Right-click the item you want to update and select Properties from the resulting menu.

4. Click the Update driver button on that tab. A wizard will start and help you install your new driver. Click the Next button.

5. Click the "Search for a better driver..." radio button. Click Next.

6. Finally, tell the computer where the new driver file is using the "Specify a Location" drop box and the Browse button. If you're using Win ME or XP, it will automatically start looking for the new driver at this point. If it doesn't find it, you'll have to tell it where to look.

Once the driver is located, you'll be able to finish up with the wizard. You'll probably need to re-start your computer, but that's about it. Not too terribly hard, now was it?

~ Steve

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Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Stained Glass Photography

I love stained glass, but it's a dying art. Now you can see it photographed exquisitely at Stained Glass Photography. I was a skeptic at first—you know, how can a photograph be as good as the real thing?

I was so wrong.

I browsed through these galleries and had my opinion changed. This is like looking at the stained glass itself. The photos are so detailed and vibrant. You can see the stained glass of Tiffany, William Morris, Charles Connick, Maitland Armstrong, Henry Holiday, Charles Kemp, John La Farge, Evie Hone, and many others.

This site is a real gem. Check it out!

http://www.stainedglassphotography.com/

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