TechAdvisory.org » Tech Tips

Turn off Flash in your Browser on Android

Editor — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The big difference between Android and the iOS is the fact that, on an Android device, you can play Flash videos. There are times however when this seeming advantage can be a disadvantage as Flash (such as Flash ads) can slow down your browsing experience or even crash your browser. There is a solution.

You can turn off Flash if you choose to. Simply go to your Browser’s Settings by pressing on the Menu/Options button, then go to Advanced and change ‘Enable plug-ins’ setting from “Always on” to “On demand.” Flash applications will now appear as an arrow that you must touch to start.

Capture a screenshot in an iPad

Editor — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

There are times when you may want to capture what is currently being shown on your iPad’s screen. That’s easy to do on an iPad.

Simply press the Home button and then the Sleep/Wake button simultaneously. When you hear a click, the screenshot has been taken. You can then go to the photos gallery to see all of your captured screenshots.

Use Your Android Phone Like a USB Key

Editor — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

If you own an Android phone, you can use it as a substitute for an external drive or a USB key. You can load files into your phone simply by plugging it in to a PC with a USB cable, then tapping on “Mount” when you are prompted by the system.

This mounts the internal storage of the device as an external drive relative to the PC, and you can easily drag and drop files or create folders on the device as you see fit. Of course, it is recommended you do this on the SDCard that likely came with the device, or one that you buy for your phone.

Hide Windows Desktop Gadgets Quickly

Editor — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

If you are using Windows Gadgets (or those small mini-applications that are embedded on your desktop that show interesting things like the latest news, weather updates, or sports scores), you may sometimes wish you can just quickly hide them to declutter your workspace.

In Windows 7, you can do just that. Simply right-click on the desktop, go to View, and then clear the check mark on Show desktop gadgets. This will hide the gadgets. If you want to bring them back, just restore the check mark again.

Unsend Emails Sent Using Gmail

Editor — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Have you ever sent an email and then immediately regretted sending it? If you are using Gmail as your mail client, you can do just that with an interesting but buried option in Gmail settings.

To enable this feature, go to Mail Settings in Gmail (upper right corner, under the gear icon). Navigate to the “Labs” tab. In the labs search box, look for “Undo Send” and choose Enable, then save. Now in Mail Settings you will see an option to “Undo Send: Send cancellation period: __ seconds.” Enter the number of seconds that Gmail will allow you to change your mind in the future (try 10 seconds).

With this enabled, the next time you send an email, you’ll be able to “Cancel” it from being sent out, as long as it is within the time frame you specified.

Remove the Image Background in Bing

Editor — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Do you prefer Bing over Google but like Google’s sparse but fast loading page better? With this tip you can get the best of both worlds.

As users of Bing know, when you visit the home page of Bing, a page with a featured photo as the background is displayed by default, which increases the load time of the page. This can be distracting or annoying—especially if you have a slow connection. Disable this photo from loading by simply bookmarking this URL (http://www.bing.com/?rb=0). The next time you visit Bing, the photo will not appear.

Split Keyboard on an iPad

Editor — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Did you know that on iOS5 on the iPad, you can actually split the keyboard into two? This can be useful for typing with your thumbs if you are holding the iPad with both hands.

To do so, press and hold the keyboard icon on the on-screen keyboard. An option will appear, allowing you to split the keyboard into two. Alternatively you can drag the keyboard icon up across the screen until the keyboard splits up. Still another way is to simply put two fingers around the center of the keyboard and simultaneously drag them apart in a splitting motion.

Converting Currencies Using Google

Editor — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Want to do a quick currency conversion? You can use Google for that. Simply type in the amount in the original currency, then the currency you want to convert it to.

For example, type in: “100 dollars in yen” or “100 dollars in Mexican Pesos” and check out the results. If you have a mobile data plan on your mobile phone with a browser, you can use this tip for quick currency conversions on the go.

Set which Desktop Applications will Open on Mac OSX Lion

Editor — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

The Mac introduced the concept of using multiple “Desktops” (previously called “Spaces”) using Lion’s Mission Control application. Using Mission Control, you can specify which desktop applications will automatically open in which desktops by default.

To set your preferences, select and right-click (or ctrl+click or two-finger click) on an application in the Dock, then select the “Options” menu in the resulting pop-over. Inside that menu, links appear that allow you to remove the app from the Dock, open it at Login, or to have it Show in the Finder app. If you have multiple desktops active, an additional set of options will appear at the bottom. Here you can “assign” the app to “This Desktop” or the current active desktop, or to open in “All Desktops” or “None.” Make your selection and your app will now open in the specific Desktop or Desktops you specify on launch.

Set Switch Preference to Orientation Lock or Mute on Your iPad

Editor — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

If you use an iPad, there is a switch conveniently located at the right side of the device which you can set to either lock the orientation of the screen or to mute the audio when you slide the switch—depending on your preference.

To set your preference, go to Settings > General, and under the “Use Side Switch” section, choose either “Lock Rotation” or “Mute.”

Changing the Default Apps on your Android Device

Editor — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0000

If you, for example, install multiple media player applications on your Android device, you’ll find that Android will give you the choice of which application to launch by default when you open a media file or document. However, you may later want to change this default setting.

To do so, go to Settings > Applications > Manage applications and then press the “All” tab. Choose the application that you previously selected as default, and scroll to the section “Launch by default” and press the “Clear defaults” button. Next time you open that particular type of file in the future, Android will prompt you again to choose a new default app.

Dial Phone Numbers in Safari on an iPhone

Editor — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Ever surfed for the number of a pizza place on your iPhone and just wanted to dial the phone number straight from the webpage? If you are using the default browser on your iPhone, which is Safari, that’s no problem at all.

Safari automatically converts numbers that look like phone numbers into links. If you press those links, a popup window will appear giving you the option to call the number from there or cancel. No need to write down or even copy and paste the numbers.

Disable Tab Previews of Internet Explorer in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

If you are using Internet Explorer and Windows 7, you may have noticed that when you mouse over an IE browser window, a preview of the open tabs in the browser is shown. While this is useful to give you an idea of the sites you have open, it can get annoying if you have multiple tabs open at the same time. If you would prefer to disable this feature, you can.

Just go to Tools > Internet Options (in the upper right-hand corner of the browser) and then click on the “Settings” button in the window that pops up. In the list of Tabbed Browsing Settings, uncheck “Show previews for individual tabs in the taskbar.” Click on OK and you should be good to go.

Change the AutoRecover Interval in Microsoft Office 2007/2010

Editor — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

A very useful feature in Microsoft Office is called “AutoRecover”, which automatically saves your document at specified time intervals so that in case of an application or system crash, Office can recover its latest version.

By default this is set to 10 minutes, but you can change this easily by clicking on the Office button within the application, and then clicking on the “Word Options” or “Excel Options” (or other application) button in the lower right hand side of the window. Go to the “Save” section and look for “Save AutoRecover information every…” and change the settings there. Be sure to click “OK” to save your preference. A word of caution: setting the interval at very short timespans such as every 1 minute can slow down your computer with frequent writes to the hard disk. Try a number between 5 minutes to 10 minutes first.

Lock Access to Your Windows Desktop Quickly

Editor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Leaving your computer for a short time but don’t want anyone peeking at your desktop or files? Simply lock it. When you lock your desktop, anyone who wants to use it will have to log in using their username and password.

One way to do this is to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click on “Lock Computer.” A quicker way is to press the Windows logo key and the L key.

Trigger Animation On Click of an Object in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

Editor — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

In Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, you can set an animation to trigger when you click on an object. This is a simple way to add and control interactivity to your presentation. To add an animation trigger, select an object that already has animation applied to it.

On the “Animations” tab, in the “Advanced Animations” group, click “Animation Pane” and then select the animation that you want to trigger. Back in the Advanced Animation group, click and hold on “Trigger” and select “On Click of” and select the object for which you wish to trigger the animation when clicked.

Rename Files Quickly in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

With Windows 7, there are easier and faster ways to rename multiple files in one sweep. The first way is to click on a file’s name and rename it as usual, then press the “Tab” key to access the next file in the list.

Another way is to select multiple files (press the Ctrl key or Shift key and select the desired files), then right click on the first file and choose “Rename” to give it a new name. The rest of the files will be renamed with the same name. For example, if you name the first file “image”, it will become “image (1)” followed by “image (2)” and so on.

Search within a Site Easily Using Google Chrome

Editor — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Google Chrome allows you the option to search within a specific site. First type the web address of the site you want to search in the address bar, and then press the “Tab” key.

If Google Chrome has a record of the site’s search engine, you’ll be offered the option to search within that site only. Try it with sites such as LinkedIn, Bing, and Yahoo.

Change the Speed, Look, and Behavior of Your Mouse Pointer Easily in Windows

Editor — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

In Windows, there are various options for configuring the speed, look, and behavior of your mouse pointer to exactly the way you want it.

To do so, click the Start button, and then click Control Panel. Click Hardware and Sound, and then under Devices and Printers, click Mouse. In the Mouse Properties box, click on the Pointers and Pointer Options tab, and adjust the options to change the shape and size of your cursor by changing the “scheme”. In the “Pointer Options” tab, you can change the speed, visibility, and other characteristics of your pointer. You can add pointer trails, automatically snap the pointer to buttons and dialog boxes, and so on. These settings are especially handy when using small screens such as on laptops or netbooks.

Guide to Changing the Screen Resolution of Your Monitor

Editor — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The clarity of text and images on your screen can depend largely on how you set your monitor’s screen resolution. At high resolutions, such as 1280 by 1024 pixels, you can display more on the screen—but text and images will look smaller.

At lower resolutions, such as 800 by 600 pixels, objects will appear larger but may look jagged and less sharp. The optimal setting to choose really depends on your monitor and the larger the monitor the higher resolution it supports. Most newer computers have already been pre-configured for you, but you can try various options to see what works best for you. You can quickly change this setting by right-clicking any empty space on your desktop, then choosing “screen resolution” in the menu.

Forget to Include an Attachment in Outlook? Get a Reminder!

Editor — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Do you sometimes forget the file attachments you meant to include in an email message? Thanks to a free plugin for Outlook, now you can be alerted when you do just that.

Head over to CodeTwo‘s website and download the free Outlook Attachment Reminder. Install and configure it to scan for text in your email’s subject line and body text (such as “attachment” or “attached” or “see document”). When you press the send button, if the system finds that you included these phrases but did not attach a file, it will prompt you to do so before sending out the email.

Display all available action options in the Windows Control Panel

Editor — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:30:00 +0000

In Windows 7, when you access the control panel window from the Start Menu, by default you open the window using the Category view, and what you see is a shortened list of possible actions you can do from the Control Panel screen.

You can change the view to Icons to get a longer list, but this can display a confusing mess of icons. A possibly better way is to use the default Category View, and then in the Search box in the upper right corner type “e”, for example. The search filter will then show the list of actions you can do which contain the letter “e”. You will be amazed at how much Windows actually hides by default. You can then use the list to further narrow down the action items you are looking for.

Color Code Messages Addressed Only to You in Outlook

Editor — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:30:00 +0000

In Outlook, you can color code messages addressed only to you, to easily identify messages that may be more important or require action from you.

Go to the Tools menu and choose Organize. In the “Using Colors” section, select the “Turn on” button next to “Show messages sent only to me in Blue.” You can also choose to define a different color if you want.

Integrated View of Google Services in Firefox

Editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Do you frequently use Google’s online services such as Gmail, Calendar, and Reader? Do wish there were a way you could view all of these services in one page? If you use Mozilla Firefox as your browser, you’re in luck. Firefox has a free Addon called “Integrated Gmail” which allows you to view these services from one page.

Go to the Mozilla Firefox Addon page and click the “+Add to Firefox” button for Integrated Gmail. Be sure to click on the Install button that shows in the popup confirmation dialog box. After the addon installs, restart your browser and then log in to your Gmail account. Magically, new links to Reader, Calendar, and other Google services will appear in your page.

Save Files Directly to the Cloud

Editor — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Do you ever wish you could save files you find online directly to a cloud storage service provider? With this handy new free tool called Cloud Save you can. Cloud Save is available for the Google Chrome browser at the Google Chrome webstore.

After you install the extension in Google Chrome, you will find a new menu item when you right-click or try to download files in your browser. The menu item allows you to send the file (without having to download to your harddisk) directly to popular web-based services including Dropbox, Google Docs, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, and more. Simply right-click a file, then decide where you’d like to send it.

Related materials: Google Chrome webstore

Pause a Powerpoint Slideshow Easily with Handy Keyboard Shortcuts

Editor — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000

When presenting in front of an audience, sometimes it’s necessary to pause your PowerPoint slideshow for a few minutes to highlight a point, answer audience questions, or to simply take a break.

Instead of leaving the presentation or covering the projector lens with a piece of paper, you can press “B” to show a black screen or “W” to show a white screen.

Find out your IP Address

Editor — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Sometimes you need to find out your IP address for networking, troubleshooting, gaming, or tech support purposes. There are two IP addresses you may need to consider—your “external” IP address (the IP address the rest of the world sees to locate your computer or network) and your “internal” IP address (which identifies your particular computer in a shared network). Finding your external IP address is easy.

If you are connected to the web, just launch your browser and type: “whatismyip”, and your browser should redirect you to the website whatismyip.com which will provide you this information for free. To find out your internal IP address, just go to the Windows command prompt, or go to the Windows Start Menu and click on Run, then type “cmd”. Next, simply type “ipconfig” in the command prompt and then look for the string of numbers right next to “IP Address.”

Modify the Page Margins in Excel While in Print Preview

Editor — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Have you ever struggled with fitting the contents of your Excel spreadsheet on one page? There are several ways to get around this, one of which is to use the Print Preview option in Excel.

While in Print Preview mode, click the Margins button or tick the Show Margins checkbox to display the margins in Excel. You can now drag the right, left, top, and bottom margins just the way you want to be able fit the data onto the page.

Change the Default Download Location for Mozilla Firefox

Editor — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Want to change the default download location for Mozilla Firefox? Perhaps you want to have it default to your desktop, or a special folder on your hard drive?

To do so, go to the Options menu in Firefox, then under the General tab look for the Downloads section. Browse to a location in the “Save files to” option screen, then click on OK and you should be good to go. Alternatively, you can have Firefox prompt you for a location for every download by choosing the option “Always ask me where to save files” instead.

Recover Disk Space by Changing the Default Recycle Bin Size

Editor — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:00:00 +0000

On some computers with really large drives, the Recycle Bin’s default size setting (10% of your hard drive space) can be too much and may be an inefficient use of space. Over time, you may need to recover this extra space, and it’s easy to do so.

Just right-click on the Recycle Bin and move the slider to the left to reduce its allocated disk space. Click on OK, and you might be surprised at just how much space you were able to recover.

Use Google Chrome as Your Default PDF Viewer

Editor — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Many users download Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDF Documents, but it can be slow to start up and load a file. However, you can use Chrome as your default PDF viewer. It’s really fast and unlike other free PDF viewers it’s a breeze to set up and use.

Simply open Google Chrome and type chrome://plugins in the address field. Make sure “Chrome PDF Viewer” is enabled in the list of plugins. Next, right-click on any PDF file and choose “Open With” and navigate to the “Choose Program” link. Select Google Chrome in the list of applications provided, making sure to check the “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file” checkbox. Finally, click on Open. The next time you open a PDF document it will open in Google Chrome.

Using/Disabling the Window Snap Feature in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 27 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

When Windows 7 was released, it introduced a new feature called Snap—which allows users to easily resize windows when they are dragged to the edges of the screen. Depending on where the window is dragged, it expands vertically, takes up the entire screen, or arranges itself side-by-side with another open window.

If you find this feature more annoying than helpful, you can disable it in the “Ease of Access Center” in the Windows Control Panel. Click on the “Change how your mouse works” link, scroll down to the “Make it easier to manage windows” section, then check the box labeled “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen.”

Handy Google Chrome Commands

Editor — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Google’s Chrome browser has special commands that can show you basic browser settings and info from within the browser’s main window.

This can be helpful since it presents browser information in one neat page that can easily be searched. For example, to view bookmarks, type “chrome://bookmarks” in the search or URL box. To view downloads, type “chrome://downloads”, and to view your history, type “chrome://history”.

Launching Multiple Instances of the Same Software in Windows 7

Editor — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

There are times when you might want to open multiple instances of the same software program quickly, such as when you need to work on multiple documents in Word or Excel, or when you want to launch multiple windows of your browser.

In Windows 7, you can do this easily. Just press and hold down the SHIFT key while left-clicking on the first instance of the program in the Windows taskbar, and a new instance of the same program is opened.

Use Shortcuts Instead of File Duplicates

Editor — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Instead of copying files to multiple locations in your hard drive to make sure you can find it easily, consider using shortcuts instead.

Shortcuts are simply links to the original file, folder, or programs from which it was created. You can distinguish a shortcut by the arrow in the lower-left corner of the icon. To create a shortcut, right-click the file and then click Create Shortcut. Create as many as you want, and drag them to the appropriate locations within your hard drive.

“About” Commands in Firefox

Editor — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:47:00 +0000

Did you know that typing “about:” plus another word in Firefox will allow you to view special configuration information of the browser—some of which you can actually tweak and customize?

To try it, type “about:” to show general and version information. Try “about:cache” to view the browser cache, or “about:plugins” to show plugin information. If you are feeling adventurous, try “about:config” to show the browser configuration settings (but be careful when changing settings here). And for some extra fun, type “about:Mozilla” to see a special things provided by the developers.

Restrict Users of Your Computer from Accessing Folder Options in Windows

Editor — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:00:00 +0000

If you share your computer with other users or manage the computers in your home or office, there are times when you may want to restrict users from changing folder options, such as making Windows system files visible which are invisible by default or showing file extensions.

To do this, go to the Windows Start Menu and click on Run. Type “regedit” to launch the windows system registry tool. Next, go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Curre ntVersion/Policies/Explorer. It may be a good idea to backup your registry at this point. After creating a back-up, double-click on NoFolderOptions and set its value to 1. After doing so, users will no longer be able to edit Folder Options. To reverse, set the value back to 0.

Using Outlook to Access your Gmail Account

Editor — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Do you have a Gmail account but prefer using Outlook to access your email? You can configure your Gmail to behave like a normal mailbox so that you can download it using your favorite desktop or mobile client such as Outlook. You can then access your mail offline, and use tools you already use with Outlook, such as Outlook’s mail formatting features and MS Office integration. Here’s how:

1. First set up your Gmail account for POP or IMAP. If you use other Outlook features such as Tasks and Notes, consider using Google App Sync for Outlook instead.

2. In Outlook, add a new email account. Remember to use your email address when setting up your account (including ‘@gmail.com’ or ‘@your_domain.com’). For the exact steps, follow the instructions here.

3. Are you using a mail client other than Outlook? Check out instructions from Google here.

Customize the Windows 7 Logon Screen

Editor — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Would you like to customize the Windows 7 Logon Screen and use your own wallpaper image? There are actually several ways to do this.

The first method involves editing the registry and creating a folder containing your own custom images. However, if you are uncomfortable doing this, or if it seems like too much work, there is a free application that can do it for you called Windows 7 Logon Background Changer. The download is a zip file, and once you unzip it, just run the installer. After installation, the program will allow you to choose from images already on your drive and view a preview of how it will look. Find out more by downloading the program.

Add or Remove Apps from Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 Suite

Editor — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:30:00 +0000

When you installed MS Office 2007 or 2010, you had the choice of installing the entire suite or picking and choosing which apps you wanted. If you now find you want to change those selections, we can help.
Read more.

How to Reverse “Never Remember” for a Password in Firefox

Editor — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Have you ever clicked “Never Remember” for a password, only to decide later that you do want Firefox to remember it? Here’s how you can get Firefox to re-prompt you.
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Access Hidden Regional Themes in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Windows 7 offers location-specific Aero themes based on the language and location you pick during installation. But did you know you can access other hidden themes from different countries?
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Move Cache Memory to RAM for Faster Firefox

Editor — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:16:44 +0000

Mozilla Firefox too slow? Here’s a tip for speeding up Firefox by moving cache memory to RAM.
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Quick Way to Access Run in Windows 7

Editor — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Wish you could access the run command in Windows 7 more easily? Now you can.
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Save Time – Create a New E-mail Shortcut on Your Desktop

Editor — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Do you send lots of e-mails every day? If so, this tip is for you. Save time by creating a shortcut on your desktop that will open a new e-mail window when double-clicked.
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Accelerate Firefox 3.6 Page Scrolling

Editor — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Firefox 3.6 has yet another secret feature that could significantly improve your web browsing on Windows: scroll acceleration.
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How Do You Reformat a USB Flash Drive?

Editor — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:30:00 +0000

USB flash drives are very handy for storing backups, personal documents, music, pictures, portable applications, and more. In fact, they’re so convenient that we dump information onto them without much organization, and they can get crowded and messy quickly. Learn how clear up disk space to accommodate more files on your flash drives.
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6 Tips on How to Print Faster

Editor — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Tired of slow printing? You can take action speed up the processing time of your printer, as well as the printing speed itself. These tips are easy to accomplish, or require a minimal financial investment.
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Use ReadyBoost to Speed Up Your Computer

Editor — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:34:02 +0000

ReadyBoost can speed up your computer by using storage space on most USB flash drives and flash memory cards.
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5 Folders to Clean Up Today

Editor — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:30:00 +0000

A new year means a fresh start (or a compulsive desire to stay organized). Why not start today? Here are 5 folders we’ve identified on your PC or Mac that could use a little reorganizing. It may require a few hours of your time to do, but trust us, it’ll make you feel warm and fuzzy inside when they’re clear.
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How to increase/decrease the Recycle Bin size

Editor — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:17:23 +0000

The Recycle Bin’s default size is equivalent to 10 percent of the drive size. But if you delete a larger size file accidentally, you might need it to be larger. Here’s how to re-set the maximum storage size of the Recycle Bin.
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Control How Pop-ups Behave in Internet Explorer 8

Editor — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:51:15 +0000

Most people associate pop-ups with annoying advertisements that must be closed to continue reading the web page underneath. However, there are times when you need pop-ups to use a webpage as it was intended to be used. Learn to control how pop-ups behave when using IE8 on the web.
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Unwanted Hyperlinks in Excel

Editor — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Tired of having Excel convert what you type into active hyperlinks? You can make it stop.
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Force Firefox to Display Webpages with a Specific Font

Editor — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:41:42 +0000

Sometimes websites use fonts that are too small or otherwise difficult to read. Learn how to set up Firefox to display all webpages with a specific font and size of your choosing.
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Alphabetizing Last Names in Word

Editor — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:42:25 +0000

Sorting lists of names by last name is easy if they are listed in a LAST, FIRST order. But what if the names are in FIRST LAST order? This tip explains features in Word that make this possible.
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Tools to Edit PDF Files Online for Free

Editor — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:37:44 +0000

Here are some free online tools that can help you modify PDF files. What’s even better is they don’t require downloads or installation. The only requirement is an Internet connection and browser.
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Create Small, Easy-to-read URL’s

Editor — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:07:28 +0000

Create easy-to-read and type Internet addresses from the long addresses often found on popular sites such as Amazon, eBay, and MapQuest by using online services that shrink the address.
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Send Web Pages Easily to Friends

Editor — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:58:59 +0000

When you come across a web page you’d like to share, these simple steps allow you to easily send a link to a friend.
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Convert Multiple File Formats for Free Online

Editor — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 12:34:13 +0000

If you use Web sites to share your documents, movies, pictures, and music files, you probably know what it means to have to convert files. Good thing there is a Web site that performs file format conversions online. It’s free, helpful, and extremely simple to use.
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Tidying Up Outlook Window Clutter

Editor — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:00:18 +0000

If you spend your day replying to e-mail in Microsoft Outlook, you may find yourself with a stack of open message windows all over your screen by lunchtime. Fortunately, most recent versions of Outlook can help you keep things tidy by closing the windows for you.
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Move Back Faster in Your Browser

Editor — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:11:14 +0000

The most commonly used feature in Internet browsers is the Back button, and many users click it several times to get where they want to be. However, all browsers also have a small down arrow that allows you to quickly see and access the last several pages you’ve visited as well.
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Define Styles in Word

Editor — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:48:36 +0000

Styles are a powerful feature of Word that help you easily define the way your text should appear. This tip explains how you can define styles or modify existing styles.
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How to Add Signatures in Outlook 2010

Editor — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:47:35 +0000

In Office 2010, the locations of some features are different, and if you’ve recently upgraded you might be wondering where you can add signatures to your emails. Here are the steps for inserting signatures in Outlook 2010.
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Search the Internet with Start Menu Search

Editor — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:00:37 +0000

Start Menu Search is one of the best features in modern Windows versions, but in Windows 7, it can only be used to search for programs and files by default. Fortunately, with a simple change, you can use Start Menu Search to trigger Internet searches as well - and these searches will be performed by your default browser and search engine.
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Prevent Your Mouse from Waking Windows 7 from Sleep Mode

Editor — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:09:21 +0000

Among a host of power management options available in Windows 7, sleep mode is a convenient way to save power and reduce wear and tear on your computer’s hardware. However, your mouse is set by default to wake up Windows 7 from sleep mode, and one slight tap or vibration can wake your computer up. Luckily, you can disable this feature. Read more.

Automatically Delete TEMP Files in Windows 7

Editor — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:50:36 +0000

The Windows Disk Cleanup Wizard will delete your temporary files, but only if they are over a week old. Here is a tip that shows you how to create a simple batch script that will clean up your temporary files and directories automatically.
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Cleaning your Optical Mouse

Editor — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 07:42:53 +0000

Finding delicate control with your optical mouse difficult? Does the arrow pointer keep jumping all over the place? Well, here’s a tip that will help.
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How to Zip Multiple Files Into Individual Archives

Editor — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 06:50:06 +0000

You may know how to add multiple files to one zip file, but do you know how create individual zip archives for each file automatically?
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Cleaning your Keyboard

Editor — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000

When your computer keyboard starts looking dirty, yellowish, or some keys are not working properly, it may be time to learn how to clean it properly.
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How to Optimally Position a Wireless Access Point or Router

Editor — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000

The performance of a Wi-Fi home network greatly depends on signal strength of the wireless router or wireless access point. To position your wireless equipment for optimal network performance, follow these guidelines.
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How to Use a Bluetooth-Enabled Cell Phone for Laptop Internet Access

Editor — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:47:27 +0000

Using your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone as a modem for Internet access on your laptop is great in a pinch when there’s no Wi-Fi service available or your regular Internet service goes down.
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Format an SD Card the Easy Way

Editor — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 08:25:00 +0000

SD cards can be tricky little gadgets. They sit in our cameras and cell phones, just waiting for us to take the picture of a lifetime. . .at which time, of course, they stop responding. While nothing can predict when or where an SD card will die, proper formatting can both lengthen the life of the card and provide the most available space possible.
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Coloring Calendars in Outlook

Editor — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:24:00 +0000

If you have ever asked how to change the default background color of the Calendar in Outlook 2007, read on.
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Print Pages Larger or Smaller Than the Original Size (Page Scaling) in Adobe Acrobat Reader

Editor — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 08:37:31 +0000

If your PDF prints larger or smaller than you want, use Page Scaling to print at the size you’d prefer. Use Tiling to print banners and other large format items across multiple sheets of paper.
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Fast-Shut-Down in Windows 7 or Vista without Using 3rd Party Tool

Editor — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:38:00 +0000

You can shut down, restart or log off from Windows 7 or Vista in a few quick steps - without going through the Start Menu or using any 3rd party applications.
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Use Excel 2007 Macros to Speed up Work

Editor — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0000

When you find yourself performing a task or series of tasks repeatedly Excel spreadsheets, save time by creating a macro to do the work for you.
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Printing in PowerPoint 2007

Editor — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:03:00 +0000

Several printing options in PowerPoint 2007 let you print slides, speaker notes, presentation outline, and audience handouts. Here are tips on how to use them.
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Tips to Increase Laptop Battery Life

Editor — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:03:00 +0000

If you work while traveling, you can always use a longer battery life. It makes little sense to lug your laptop around if it’s constantly out of power. Having a spare battery certainly helps, but practicing energy-saving habits to prolong the life of your laptop battery works too.

Tips for Saving Printing Costs

Editor — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 10:02:00 +0000

Since paper is relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the price of ink, you may think more about conserving ink. But conserving paper too is great for the environment – and your wallet. Fortunately, it’s easy to do.

Mouse Tips for a Smoother Computing Experience

Editor — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000

The mouse is a primary way of interacting with the computer, so smooth and responsive functioning is a must. Here are some tips for trouble-free mousing.
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Changing Windows 7 Default File Location

Editor — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:09:46 +0000

When saving a file in Windows 7 you can select a library to save it in – but because libraries aren’t real locations, the file is stored to the defined save folder such as My Documents or Public Documents. However, you can reset the properties of the folder to suit your needs.
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Take Advantage of Jump Lists in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Jump Lists are lists of recently opened items, such as files, folders, or websites, organized by the program that you used to open them. You can also pin favorites to a Jump List, so you can quickly get to the items that you use every day. Read more.

Add Dates or Find Difference Between Dates in Windows 7 Calculator

Editor — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:28:59 +0000

Need to quickly find out what day it would be 45 days from now without counting squares on a calendar? Want to know how many days until a holiday, birthday, meeting, or other special event? The built-in calculator in Windows 7 can answer these questions. Read more.

Calibrate Your Monitor for the Best Possible Experience

Editor — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:30:00 +0000

To see images the way they are intended to be seen, calibrate your monitor so that what you see is what you get. Here’s how.

Scanning Resolution—How Much Do You Need?

Editor — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Scanners are the critical link between the non-digital and the digital world. Any picture or document can be turned into a digital format with a scanner. When looking for a scanner, you want to get one good enough to do what you need it to do, but avoid overpaying for features you will not use. The first thing to look at is resolution.

Relief from “USB Device Not Recognized” Errors

Editor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:32:50 +0000

Are you getting a “USB device not recognized” error for a USB mouse, keyboard, or other USB device? Already tried normal fixes, such as uninstalling and reinstalling the driver, but it’s still not working? A possible solution may surprise you.
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Password Protect Folders in Windows 7 or Vista

Editor — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:33:34 +0000

Do you want to lock and password-protect your important folders in Windows 7 or Vista? If you have multiple accounts including one with administrator privileges in Windows 7 / Vista, then you can set access privileges for individual folders.
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Tips for improving your efficiency with dual monitors

Editor — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:43:05 +0000

Web-worker Daily shares some useful tips on how to improve your efficiency using dual monitors with your computer. Both Mac OS and Windows support dual monitors, and you can get two 20-inch monitors for less money than what it would take to buy a larger display. Read more

http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/06/02/3-efficiency-tips-for-using-dual-monitors/

Removing your logo’s background for Microsoft PowerPoint

Editor — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:50:19 +0000

Want to get rid of that annoying white box that appears around your logo when you place it in PowerPoint? ZDNet’s Techguide shares a useful tip on how to remove the background so your logo looks great on any color slide. Read more

http://www.zdnetasia.com/remove-that-annoying-background-from-your-company-logo-62063214.htm

Access your Favorite Websites Quickly

Editor — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:35:12 +0000

You can create a keyboard shortcut for your favorite websites using Internet Explorer. Read more

http://www.computerhope.com/tips/tip1.htm

5 Business Uses for a Digital Frame

Editor — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:16:31 +0000

Inc.com posted five business uses for your digital frame, including using it as a presentation tool at tradeshows or as an ice breaker before a meeting. Read more

http://www.inc.com/tech-blog/5-business-uses-for-a-digital-frame.html?partner=newsletter_Goods

Add the Quick Launch Bar to the Taskbar in Windows 7

Editor — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:51:14 +0000

The new Windows 7 taskbar allows you to dock items to the taskbar, combining the features of both the normal taskbar as well as Quick Launch. But what if you want to bring back the Quick Launch Bar to the Taskbar in Windows 7?

Make the Windows 7 Taskbar Work More Like Windows XP or Vista

Editor — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:48:43 +0000

The single most visible change in Windows 7 is the new “dock style” taskbar, which shows icons instead of buttons, with all application windows combined within a single button. The first question many people will have is “How do I turn it off?” – and this article will show you how.

Access Frequently Used Items in Windows 7 with Jump Lists

Editor — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:49:41 +0000

Finding a way to easily access recently used files, folders, and websites was annoying to some in previous versions of Windows. In Windows 7, the new Jump List feature allows you to those items quickly.

Listen to Over 100,000 Radio Stations in Windows Media Center

Editor — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:10:37 +0000

A cool feature in Windows 7 Media Center is the ability to listen to local FM radio. But what if you don’t have a tuner card that supports a connected radio antenna? The RadioTime plug-in solves the problem by allowing access to thousands of online radio stations.

What to do if you’ve responded to a phishing scam

Editor — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:33:20 +0000

If you suspect that you’ve responded to a phishing scam with personal or financial information or entered this information into a fake Web site, take these steps to minimize any damage.

How to handle Suspicious E-mail

Editor — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:30:10 +0000

Phishing, pronounced “fishing,” is a type of online identity theft that uses e-mail and fraudulent Web sites that are designed to steal your personal data or information such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. Follow these guidelines to help protect yourself from phishing scams sent through e-mail.

Reach out with MS Publisher greeting cards

Editor — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:57:54 +0000

When you want to thank loyal customers and reconnect with friends, greeting cards offer a great way to reinforce the personal link between you and them. Using Microsoft Office Publisher 2007, you can quickly produce exactly the greeting card that you want.

Learn how…

Set or remove reminders in MS Outlook

Editor — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:55:57 +0000

Typically, reminders are associated with tasks and deadlines. However, reminders are versatile and can be used with calendar items, e-mail messages, and contacts as well as tasks.

Learn how…

Create and print envelopes for a mass mailing in Word

Editor — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:12:52 +0000

In Microsoft Word, you can use mail merge to create a batch of envelopes when you want to use envelopes to send a mass mailing to your address list. Each envelope can contain an address from your list.

Learn how…