Announcements

Optical Wheel Mouse - $10.97!

OK, first off we have a really great deal on an optical mouse. It's only $10.97 and US shipping is free!

It's a quality little mouse that's ergonomically designed to work for both right and left handed people. We were passing it around the office and everyone liked it. In fact, several were surprised we were selling these for only $10.97.

Oh, and yes, in addition to being an optical mouse, it's also a wheel mouse. If you're still using a wheel-less mouse, now's your chance to upgrade. Trust me, once you have one of those wheels, you'll never (ever) want to go back.

Since it's optical, it tracks along your screen very smoothly - no more bouncing around or getting stuck. And since it doesn't have a ball, you don't have to worry about cleaning out dirt and grim from its nasty little innards!

So, if you're still using an outdated non-optical mouse - or worse, one without a (gasp) scroll wheel - this is an offer you should jump on. Trust me - you'll enjoy your computing experience a whole lot more with a quality mouse :-) Here's the link:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/optical-scroll-mouse.htm

WOW!!!

The response to the Home Depot's Guide to Home Improvement software special was phenomenal yesterday. I can't say that I blame you, it's terrific software and one of the most useful titles I've personally ever used. It makes my wife a bit nervous that I'm contemplating home repair again (she thought she had broken me of that particular notion), but this makes it so easy!

For those who didn't order yesterday, this software uses video, photos, illustrations, and narration to guide you - step by step - through just about any home improvement project you can come up with.

Topics include Plumbing, Electrical, Painting, Staining, Cabinetry, Walls, Countertops, Ceilings, Shelving, Floors, Storage, Exterior Maintenance, Weatherproofing, Insulation, Wallpapering, Planning / Design, Doors, Windows, And tons more!

It also gives you material / tool lists, estimated times, safety tips, and lots more. To say this is an awesome title is an understatement. If you do any kind of home repair, this is must have software. Only $12.97, plus you get two bonus programs - Myst and Mavis Beacon Teachs Typing (Worth nearly $100)! Check it out:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/homedepot.htm

Computers 101

Q:
I share my computer with other family members, but I want to keep my email private. Is there a way to put a password on my Outlook Express files?

A:
Each person can have a separate mailbox in Outlook Express with separate message folders, contacts, and personal settings. You can do this by creating multiple identities. Once created, you can switch between them without having to shut down your computer or lose your Internet connection, and best of all, you they can be protected with a password.

To add a new identity, go to File / Identities / Add New Identity.

Type the name of the new user. To include a password for the identity, select "Require a password" then enter one.

It will then ask if you want to log on as the new user. If you answer yes, you will be asked for information about your Internet connection. Answer no and the current user remains logged on.

Once you've set up a few, switching identities is pretty easy. Go to File / Switch Identities and select the user you want.

Netscape Mail 7 also has multiple users, but no password protection. Web based mail, of course, requires a password when you log in.

~ David

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

Tip of the Day

Search Engine Tricks

Having a hard time finding something online? Does it seem like you type in your search term but don't get anywhere near what you're looking for?

Well, here's a couple tricks that seem (almost) universal between search engines.

Let's say you're looking for sports cars and all you're getting is information on baseball and football (sports). What can you do? Try some of the following:

1. Try:

sports +cars

Most search engines will interpret this as meaning you only want results that have both the word "sports" and "cars" in them. Some search engines let you us the word "and" to do this as well (i.e. sports and cars).

2. You can also try to exclude terms. Let's say you still aren't getting what you want with sports cars (you still keep getting baseball info). Try something like:

sports +cars -baseball

The "-" sign tells most search engines to exclude results that have whatever word it is that has the "-" in front of it. (Don't put a space between the - and the word to be excluded though!)

3. If the above seems too confusing, most search engines have an "advanced search" option that gives you a web-style way to help you accomplish the same thing. Instead of using "+ / -" they use drop down boxes and option buttons. It is usually easier to search this way, although it's probably faster to use steps 1 & 2.

4. The next thing you might try is being more specific. Instead of just sports cars, maybe use exotic sports cars. Try different combinations of search terms until you get what you're after. (Careful with that word "exotic" though!)

5. Also, you may want to try using quotes. If you type in:

"sports cars"

You should only get results that match that exact phrase in that exact order. Sometimes that can narrow things down considerably.

6. If all else fails, try a different search engine. We have a selection of what we feel are the best search engines on our homepage:

http://www.worldstart.com

Of course the hands-down favorite is Google

There are thousands of search engines out there and not all of them support the tips I have shown you today. If you're having trouble, look for a link for search tips, search help, advanced search, or how to search. Most search engines have lots of information on how to use them successfully.

~ Steve

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

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Vintage Computer Ads

Do you remember when computers were just beginning to be advertised? Well if you're like me and don't remember, you can check it out with this site. From the earliest Apple to Commodore to the Sinclair—computers used to look like glorified typewriters. Not very similar to today’s PC.

Could you imagine buying a computer with only 9K to 48K of RAM? That’s unheard of now but when they came out that was a hot product. Catch the picture of Captain Kirk hawking computers.

For those of you who remember just how spiffy those machines were, it’s a nice walk down memory lane with pictures. My favorite is the sleek Sinclair 1 that hooked right up to your TV and boasted 50 powerful commands.

This is a fun site to check out.

http://www.sbrowning.com/vintage/

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