Escape Fast
Unfortunately it happens. Sometimes Web pages just don’t like to load very fast, do they? They get hung up for whatever reason and it’s just like torture to sit there and wait for it to come up.
Well, if you happen to run into that problem and want a quick way out, try the Escape (Esc) key on your keyboard. It’s located in the very top left hand… Continue reading
If you have Windows XP, you’ve probably noticed that when you install a new program, XP automatically highlights that program in your Start menu so you can easily find it. It also gives you a little pop up message telling you that you have new programs in your list.
Well, have you ever found those features to be annoying or unnecessary? Do you want to get rid of them? If… Continue reading
Take a second to look through the list of your favorites that you have saved on your computer. How many do you have? Too many? Think you should maybe get rid of some of those? Yes, no, maybe so? Well, if you decide you should, here’s how you can clean up your space.
To delete any of the favorites you have saved in your list, simply highlight the one you’d… Continue reading
Do you often use Google, Yahoo! or some other search engine to search the Internet? Well, here’s a tip that may make your searching just a little bit easier.
Search engines have different categories available for you to use to help simplify your search. For example, Google offers Web, Images, Groups, News and Local (where you can look for nearest locations of hotels or restaurants, etc). Now, Yahoo! is a… Continue reading
Ever heard of Linux? Ever wonder what exactly it is? Is it for real? Isn’t it hard? The applications I’ve come to love in Windows won’t work in Linux. How can I possibly switch? Well, here’s your explanation.
There’s lot of confusion out there about how suitable Linux is for the home user. Linux, which I prefer to call GNU/Linux (pronounced Guh-Noo Linux) admittedly started… Continue reading
Ever wanted to make your very own Favorite? Well, here’s a quick little lesson for you in case you see a site that you just have to save for easy access to go back to later.
Start by getting into your Web browser and have the site you want to save up and ready. Go up to your toolbar at the top of the page and click on Favorites. Choose… Continue reading
Q:
How can I ensure that I have the strongest password possible to secure my computer from any intruders?
A:
Given enough time and using the correct tools, a hacker can break into a computer and access the files. One reason hackers are able to break into computer system s so easily is because the user did not create a strong enough password. Many computer users create passwords… Continue reading
Are you worried about what your children or grandchildren will encounter while surfing the web? Letting a kid run loose with a web browser is like letting them walk alone through a bad neighborhood at night. There’s just a lot that can go wrong.
Well, if you let them surf with Internet Explorer, you can take control! Here’s how:
1. Open Internet Explorer, hit the Tools menu, Internet Options.
The software developers are cooking up new acronyms again. You might hear about SaaS, Software as a Service. It’s also called on-demand software, but I guess ODS wasn’t catchy enough for the acronym makers. Yesterday’s Security Tip featured Windows Internet Security Center, one example of this kind of web-based application. It’s not stored on your computer, so it doesn’t take up your disk space… Continue reading
Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft- You’re actually less likely to be struck by lightning!
According to the Federal Trade Commission database, there were over 635,000 consumer fraud and identity theft complaints in the U.S. in 2004. That includes stolen credit card numbers as well as full-blown identity theft, but that’s still a lot of people.
In comparison, 12,994 people were killed or injured in lightning strikes in the U.S. from… Continue reading
.eml Files often arrive in the form of an email attachment and are usually, by default, set to be opened by a Windows email client. However, that default can be changed, and we’ll show you how. Continue reading
Save your ghost stories and haunted houses. Let’s talk about a real nightmare: losing all your internet favorites. I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of these. They’re organized by subject: photography, writing, travel, friends, online ‘zines, crafts, stores, humor sites, podcast pages and directories, sports, webcomics, cool stuff I plan to afford someday but like drooling over now -you name it. If they were lost in… Continue reading
Megan from Ashtabula asks:
What is VoIP, exactly?
That’s an easy one, Megan!
In addition to being fun to say (go on, try it!), VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s a method for sending voice over the Internet using TCP/IP packets. You may have heard of VoIP phone service
When ordering online at our software store or other places online, you may be asked for your CVV number. This three-digit number follows the last four digits of your credit card in the signature space on your card. Because it’s on the back and not raised for easy copying, we ask for the CVV number online because it means that you probably have the card in your hand… Continue reading
To Connect or Disconnect When Not in Use?
No, I’m not about to wax Shakespearean about the slings and arrows of outrageous spyware, as amusing as that might be.
This choice relates to so many readers’ questions. Should you leave your computer connected to the internet when you aren’t working online? “It takes so long to re-dial,” or “I can’t reach the connection cord, but I’ve heard (fill in your… Continue reading
Q:
My kid is getting out of control on the internet. He’s erasing the history, and he knows all the passwords on our PC. What can I do?
A:
The more computer savvy the kiddies get, the harder it’s getting to enforce the First Rule of Internet Parenting: Kids don’t cruise the web without at least occasional supervision by a human being. I’ve gotten more questions like this… Continue reading
Thumb drives, mp3 players, and digital players cameras are becoming exponentially more popular by the day. It seems like everyone has at least one of these items, if not two. Today I’m going to show you some tricks you can do with this Flash Memory technology that I think are going to amaze you, at least a little.
Flash Memory is usually small removable memory storage devices, also called solid… Continue reading
Podcasts, part 2
Yesterday, we talked a bit about what podcasts are and where to find them. Today we’ll learn a little more about my favorite way to let my computer entertain me while I work and drive! Almost everything in podcasting is done in several different ways by different podcasters and services, so please excuse all the generalities in this article!
Let’s talk about how podcasts (or webcasts, netcasts… Continue reading
Q:
One of my internet radio shows just started calling itself a podcast. What’s the difference?
A:
Internet radio shows will “air live” at a certain time. If you miss that time, the website may or may not have an archived version. Podcasts are available at any time through archives and are attached to an RSS feed to alert subscribers when a new episode is available… Continue reading
Want to keep one webpage open and go to a bookmarked/ favorite page at the same time? In Internet Explorer, hold down Control and tap N. A new web browsing window will open. You can refer to the current website in one window and proceed to your bookmarked or favorite page in the other one.
~ Chris Fisher… Continue reading
Q:
Many websites use tiny fonts that are pretty well unreadable. The worst offenders for this seem to be on-line banking sites. How can I enlarge the text to a size where I can read it?
A:
It’s not just age, the number of hours many of us spend staring at a screen these days can make eye strain a real problem. By the end of the day… Continue reading
ActiveX controls are software components used by web pages to allow your browser to do something with the page, much like a Java applet. They make the website more interactive and program-like. For example, a page might have an ActiveX control to allow viewers to see a working excel spreadsheet in a webpage. Like any piece of technology, the bad guys sometimes create pages with malicious ActiveX components. That threat… Continue reading
You may hear about passports on the internet these days, but they’re not talking about international travel. MSN/Hotmail users are probably already familiar with the concept: one username and password for multiple online services. Here’s the newest twist. Passport service companies will store all of your usernames and passwords for you for some monthly fee. Then you just have to remember your username and password to the passport service, and… Continue reading
Have you heard about a blog, blogger, or blogging? No, that’s not some new exercise fad. They refer to online journals, usually with a comment area for readers to discuss or respond to the entry.
~ Chris Fisher… Continue reading
Email help lines
Every email system has its own little tricks and twists. Chances are good that a recent problem is due to a recent change made by the email provider (sp am filter, security settings, etc.). While we try to help all of our readers out, sometimes contacting the email provider directly can get you the best answer. It also lets them know when there’s a problem with their… Continue reading
Checking up on kids’ web use and clearing your web history
Want to know what sites the kids (or your spouse) have been visiting on the internet? Besides the #1 rule of internet parenting (No child should use the web without at least periodic living human supervision), you can check the sites in History. In Internet Explorer, the icon looks like a clock with an arrow going counter-clockwise.
The… Continue reading
In a Previous tip, I went on and on about the perils of having music play automatically when you design your website. Now, of course, I’m being inundated with questions about how to put music on your site. I should have seen that coming. Okay. I’ll tell you, as long as you promise to give the viewer the choice to listen to it or not.
First, let’s… Continue reading
