How to Mark as Final 2003 to 2007 in MS Word

Question:-How I can Mark 2003 to 2007 as Final in Ms Word?
Answer:-2003 to 2007 Mark as Final
To make a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document read-only, you need to close the file, right-click it
in Windows Explorer, click Properties, and then select the Read-only check box. If it's a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document, you can save yourself the trouble and change the document to read-only from within the program.
1. Click the Office button, and then point to Prepare.
2. Click Mark as Final. Not only is the document now read-only, but the editing commands on the Ribbon are unavailable. To enable editing again, follow the same steps to turn the Mark as Final feature off.

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Posted in: 2003 vs 2007

How to Fine-Tuning Objects in Presentations

Question:-How I can Fine-Tune Objects in Presentations?
Answe:-Fine-Tuning Objects in Presentations
When working with text in Microsoft Office PowerPoint, you can use the F2 key to switch between selecting text in a placeholder and selecting the placeholder itself. So the next time you've edited some text and want to reposition it on the slide, instead of clicking the tiny edges of the box, just press F2. The entire text box will instantly be selected for you, ready for alignment.

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Posted in: MS PowerPoint

How to Use Search to Find E-Mail Messages?

Question:-How I can Use Search to Find E-Mail Messages?
Answer:-Question:-Use Search to Find E-Mail Messages
In Microsoft Office Outlook, e-mail search helps you locate messages by keyword or phrase. You can also use search folders to find mail by type of message.

To locate specific keywords or phrases within e-mail messages:
Type a word or phrase in the Search box at the top of your Outlook Inbox. The search starts automatically as soon as you stop typing. Search results will appear in the main window of your Inbox. To return to your normal Inbox, click Clear Search (the green ×) to the right of the Search box.

You can enable search folders from the mail pane on the left of your Inbox. To expand the folders tree, click Search Folders. Outlook comes with three default search folders: For Follow Up, Large Mail, and Unread Mail.

To add new search folders, click File, point to New, and then click Search Folder.

To build a custom search folder:
1. Click Search Folder, and then either click a predefined folder name, or scroll down and click Create a custom Search Folder.
2. Click Choose, give the new folder a name, and then click Criteria to fill in the search terms.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

How to Customize My Quick Access Toolbar?

Question:-How I can Customize My Quick Access Toolbar?
Answer:-Customize Your Quick Access Toolbar
In each 2007 Microsoft Office system program where you see the Ribbon (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and parts of Outlook), you also see a Quick Access Toolbar, which appears by default above the Ribbon, beside the Office button. To add the commands you use most to the Quick Access Toolbar in each program, right-click a command on the Ribbon, and then click Add to Quick Access Toolbar. You can also click the arrow that appears at the right edge of the Quick Access Toolbar, and then click More Commands to open the Customize tab of the Options dialog box for the program you are using. In this box you can add commands that don’t appear on the Ribbon, or create a custom Quick Access Toolbar for an individual document or template.

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Posted in: Microsoft Office

How to Change File Properties in Vista?

Question:-How I can Changing File Properties in Vista?
Answer:-Changing File Properties in Vista
File properties or metadata can be very useful in labeling, organizing, and subsequently finding your files. Most programs add their own properties when saved; however, with Windows Vista, you can augment these attributes.
1. Click Organize, click Layout, and then click Details Pane (if necessary; you should see the details pane by default at the bottom of the Explorer).
2. Expand the details pane (click and drag the separator above the pane to resize).
3. Select the attribute that you want to change, and enter any information that you want to add.

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Posted in: Microsoft Vista

How to Convert Text to Tables?

Question:-How I can Convert Text to Tables?
Answer:-Convert Text to Tables?
Sometimes you may find different types of information within the same piece of text, where the only thing separating the information is a space. Microsoft Office Excel makes it easy to redistribute this data by using different columns, and to display the data in a more digestible format.

1. Choose delimiters and column separators.
a. Select the cells containing the data that you want to separate.
b. On the Data ribbon, in the Data Tools section, click the Text to Columns button.
c. Select your preferred data type (that is, Delimited or Fixed width) from the options in the first step presented by the wizard.
d. In the second step of the wizard, select your preferred delimiters from the Delimiters options, or the column separator position from the Fixed width options.

2. Define the data format of your new columns.
a. In the dialog box of the wizard’s third step, select one column at a time and define its data format by clicking your preferred option under Column data format.
b. Click the Finish button. The text chains will now be distributed into columns according to your chosen data format.

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Posted in: MS Excel

MeadMap Announced

The MeadWestvaco Corporation announced today the release of MeadMap a new online collaborative visual mapping application. To those of you who are familiar with CoMapping you will see a real similarity, since MeadMapping is based on the underlying technology found in the CoMapping application. MeadMap has the same feature set from what I can tell and they are offering a free 30 day trial so that you can try it out. Meadmap has lots of collaborative features so that you can invite others to edit and review your visual maps. You can also publish your maps to the internet or a blog by embedding the map within a page. I found Meadmap very easy to use and if you have been using CoMapping then the transition will be minimal.

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Posted in: comapping,meadmap,mind mapping,visual mapping

Keyboard shortcut of the week: Quickly Open Link in New Tab

This tip should be of interest to all the Entrecard chain-droppers out there (you know who you are). It works in Internet Explorer (version 7 and later), Firefox, and Safari.

If you hold down the Ctrl key when you click on a link on a website the browser will open the linked page on a new tab, saving you having to right-click on the link and selecting 'Open Link in New Tab' (or 'Open in New Tab' on IE).

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Posted in: Firefox,Internet Explorer,Keyboard shortcut,Websites

[TIPS] 100 top tools - a pdf file

http://www.janeknight.com/downloads/top100S08.pdf

This one was posted to Diigo yesterday. An interesting article that lists the top 100 programs for learning. Guess what tops the list: delicious. Interesting, eh? Not Powerpoint. Not Google Docs. Not Word. A social bookmarking site.

Check out the list. What do you think?

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How to Use Conditional Formatting to Highlight Data Trends

Question:-How I can Use Conditional Formatting to Highlight Data Trends?
Answer:-Use Conditional Formatting to Highlight Data Trends
Conditional formatting can help you highlight trends in your data. First, either open a fully populated Microsoft Office Excel file, or start with an empty document and fill its cells with some values. To apply conditional formatting:
1. Click the Conditional Formatting button on the Home tab of the Ribbon.
2. On the menu that appears, try selecting Data Bars, Icon Sets, or Color Scales and pause over the options. Your data is partitioned according to the rules you set, and it instantly displays visual cues that will aid understanding of the data.
3. If you don't like the options available, you can create your own rules, use your own colors, and establish your own thresholds. Better still, you can reuse your rules each time for consistent and clear presentation. All of these options are available on the Conditional Formatting menu.

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Posted in: MS Excel

How to Insert Pictures in NoteOne

Question:-How I can Insert Pictures?
Answer:-Insert Pictures
To insert a picture in your notes, click Insert, click Pictures, and then click either From Files or From Scanner or Camera.

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Posted in: MS OneNote 2007

How to Quickly Switch to Inbox or Outbox

Question:-How I can Quickly Switch to Inbox or Outbox?
Answe:-Quickly Switching to Inbox or Outbox
To jump to your Inbox, press CTRL+SHIFT+I. To jump to your Outbox, press CTRL+SHIFT+O.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

How to Generate an Efficient Frontier

Question:-How I can Generate an Efficient Frontier ?
Answer:-Generating an Efficient Frontier
You can assess your selected project portfolio against the Efficient Frontier. (Note: These steps assume you have already run an optimization scenario.) Here’s how:
1. Right-click an optimization scenario, and then click Insight Analysis from the Advanced Analysis commands.
2. Wait while the Efficient Frontier is generated.
3. Analyze the constraints (in the right panel) that are prohibiting the portfolio from reaching the Efficient Frontier.

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Posted in: MS Office Project

How to use Lookups and Relationships

Question:-How I can Use Lookups and Relationships
Answer:-Lookups and Relationships
Often you need to add fields that look up data from other tables. For example, you may want to assign a task to someone in your Contacts table. To add such a field:
1. In datasheet view, on the Ribbon, in the Fields and Columns group, click Lookup Column.
2. If you want to type the lookup values instead of looking up a field from a different table, select I will type in the values; if not, click Next.
3. Select the table that you want to look up from, and then click Next.
4. Select the fields that you want to include in your lookup, and then click Next.
5. Select the sorting method you want, click Next, and then click Next again on the following screen.
6. Label the lookup column and check the box if you want to allow the selection of multiple values. Click Finish.

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Posted in: MS Access 2007

How to Overprint Watermarks on Documents

Question:-How I can Overprint Watermarks on Documents?
Answer:-Overprinting Watermarks on Documents
You can easily insert a watermark into your document in Microsoft Office Word 2007. Click Watermark from the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.

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Posted in: MS Word

How to Change the Color of Excel Comments

Question:-How I can Changing the Color of Excel Comments?
Answer:-Changing the Color of Excel Comments
In Microsoft Office Excel, comments appear in little yellow boxes by default. Here’s how you can change the color of a comment:
1. Right-click its border, and then click Format Comment from the shortcut menu.
2. On the Colors and Lines tab, choose a color from the Color list.

Changing the default color for comments is a little more involved; here’s how to do it:
1. Right-click any blank area of your Windows desktop, and then click Properties from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Appearance tab, and then click the Advanced button.
3. Select ToolTip from the Item list.
4. Click the arrow next to the Color box, and then choose a color for your comments.
5. Click OK.

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Posted in: MS Excel

[TIPS] the iPhone for $199???

MANY thanks to my buddy Barry Sullivan for sharing this one with me via email.

How many of you have seen THIS: http://techland.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/04/29/att-to-cut-the-price-of-apples-new-iphone/?section=money_topstories 

(http://snipurl.com/26ez4  [techland_blogs_fortune_cnn_com] )

According to this article, ATT plans to offer the iPhone for $199 if you buy into a two year plan. WOW!!! And I'm stuck with my Verizon phone for another year and a half! RATS! "To page this person press 5. To leave a callback number press 9 (Isn't it already on the phone?) When you are finished you may either hang up or press 1 for more options" GET ON WITH IT! You're sucking up my minutes! (David Pogue did a GREAT schtick about this at PETE&C this year)

An interesting side note. Today I was giving a presentation to about 90 folks. I wanted to show them a live demonstration of a Google spreadsheet form. I was all set up. Only two people in the audience had Windows laptops, but they couldn't connect to the wireless. BUT, one person had an iphone and WAS able to go to my form and enter some data so that folks could see the form in action. There's a moral in there somewhere, isn't there?

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[TIPS] Moodle tutorials

Wow.. check THIS out: http://www.moodletutorials.org/

If you've got a moodle site and would like some mini tutorials then you've got the check it out. According to my source, this first appeared in the Classroom 2.0 blog. Very nice.

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[TIPS] Quintura - embed cool searches

http://www.quintura.com/

Here's one I picked up from another very cool wiki: http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/

I noticed this cool search embedded along the side of the wiki. It led me to the quintura site itself. Here's how it works. You perform a basic search and allow it to do its thing. Then grab the code and embed it in your wiki or blog. I put one on this page: http://gatesworkshop.wikispaces.com/Wikis+to+See

What fun. Just hover over a related term to see the other connections. The first three links appear below the terms.

Eye candy? Sure. But it's still a fun way to embed searches into your site. And, it's a fun way to talk about how the search terms are related.

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How to Search All Folders in a Mailbox

Question:-How I can Search All Folders in a Mailbox ?
Answer:-Search All Folders in a Mailbox
You can set Microsoft Office Outlook to automatically search across all your folders at once. Here’s how:
In Outlook, click Tools, click Options, and then click Search Options on the Preferences tab. In the Search Options dialog box, if you click All folders, you can search all folders instead of just the selected one.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

How to Use Multiple Level Undo, Change Highlighting, and Task Drivers

Question:-How I can Use Multiple Level Undo, Change Highlighting, and Task Drivers?
Answer:-Multiple Level Undo, Change Highlighting, and Task Drivers
In Microsoft Office Project Professional, project managers can visualize the effects of changes and trace back their steps. To turn the Change Highlighting feature on or off, click the View menu, and then click Hide Change Highlighting or Show Change Highlighting. While the feature is enabled, all levels of tasks affected as a result of a change are highlighted with a color as a visual indicator. By using this feature together with the Multiple Level Undo feature, project managers can do what-if analyses by trying a set of changes and then reversing unwanted changes.

If further analysis of a task’s schedule is needed, the project manager can use Task Drivers on the Project menu to determine the factors—such as task dependency, calendar constraints, schedule date, or vacation time—that are driving a task’s start date.

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Posted in: MS Office Project

How to Make 2003 to 2007 Quick Parts

Question:-How I can make 2003 to 2007 Quick Parts?
Answer:- Make 2003 to 2007 Quick Parts
In Microsoft Office Word 2003, you can use AutoText to automate the typing of oft-repeated text like names and addresses. But what if you want to reuse more than text? You can use Quick Parts in Microsoft Office Word 2007 to save any document content—text, pictures, Microsoft SmartArt graphics, headers and footers, and more—to an easily accessed Quick Part Gallery.
1. Click the Insert tab, and then select the document content that you want to reuse.
2. Click the Quick Parts button in the Text section, and then click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
3. Enter a name and description, and then click OK.
4. To reuse the content, click the Quick Parts button, and then select the Quick Part that you want to use.

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Posted in: 2003 vs 2007

How to Enter the PowerPoint Slide Show Mode

Question:-How I can Enter the PowerPoint Slide Show Mode Beginning at Any Point?
Answer:-Enter the PowerPoint Slide Show Mode Beginning at Any Point
Pressing F5 in Microsoft Office PowerPoint starts the slide show, but by default, it will open with the first slide in the deck. To start your slide show with the current or selected slide, press SHIFT+F5 instead.

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Posted in: MS PowerPoint

How to Set Permissions

Question How I can Set Permissions ?
Answer:- Set Permissions
Each person you invite to a workspace will have one of three roles: Manager, Participant, or Guest. Each role type is granted specific permissions within the workspace and within each tool. As the Manager, you can adjust tool permissions to help protect the content and control what others can do within the workspace.

1. Right-click the Tool tab, click Properties, and then click Permissions. Then select a role from the menu.
2. Adjust the permissions by selecting or clearing the check boxes, and then click Apply.

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Posted in: Workspace

How to Know How Many Lines or Words You Have Typed

Question:-How I can Know How Many Lines or Words I Have Typed?
Answer:-Quickly Know How Many Lines or Words You Have Typed
Right-click the status bar, and then select a parameter. Microsoft Office Word can show you, for example, line details or the number of words typed. This information is useful when you are writing a document that must have a fixed length.

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Posted in: MS Word

Get to IT Sales with Your Elevator Pitch

Elevator pitches can be great tools to get you to IT sales. You need to say something quickly that will be remembered by those that hear it.

The general rule of thumb to think about when creating a good elevator speech is the idea of getting into an elevator on the 20th floor with a potential prospect for your computer consulting business and being able to talk about your business and have him/her talk about his/her business by the time you get to the first floor.

Your elevator speech should answer the question, “What do you do?”

Examples of Elevator Speeches to Get to IT Sales

These elevator speeches can help you effectively get prospects that might need your computer expertise to give you a card and ask further questions.

“I work for XXXX, a company that repairs, builds and upgrades computers.”

“I’m XXX with XXX and we make it our business to help small and mid-sized businesses learn how to get the best benefits out of their computers, the Internet and networking productivity.”

“Our service team specializes in on-site business service and networking solutions. We also provide consulting in the areas of network development and on-going maintenance.”

Don’t Forget about Benefits

Getting to IT sales means talking about benefits. Make sure you outline the unique benefits you offer to those with whom you speak. You need to talk eloquently about your business services and the network consulting you do and how you solve problems.

At the end of your elevator speech, you can also think about offering a “call to action” by asking them for an appointment for a consultation.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

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Posted in: IT sales

[TIPS] A summer Course Offering

I'm VERY excited about a class I'm going to teach this summer at Harrisburg University, and I'm hoping you'll forgive this bit of promotion for it. It's a 3 credit graduate level course running from July 21-25, with two follow-up evening (online) sessions, and one final Saturday session in October.

The course is designed to be a complete immersion into the new technologies on the web, from blogs and wikis, to Twitter and Diigo, to uStream and Voicethread - and... SO much more. The purpose is to transform those teachers whose understanding of the web might have stopped with a Google search or who stopped raising the bar on tech skills when they managed to animate a powerpoint :-) . We're going to start with what we know and then see examples of how these new tools are being used with excellent results in classrooms around the world. We'll build things together, and form learning networks, and learn where and how to continue the learning. We'll get a picture of what PA is doing in the area of Education and we'll take a long hard look around us to get a sense of our global position. And, we're going to make sure that everything we do has direct applications to the classroom. By the time we're done the teachers will be globally connected, armed with excellent tools, and ready to go for next year with a TOTALLY different vision of what a modern classroom can look like.

I am REALLY excited about it. (Can you tell?)

So, if you can think of some teachers who would be interested in such a course and who would come to the Harrisburg area for a week-long course, send this information along to them, will you?

For more information or to register, call 717.901.5101; email Admissions@HarrisburgU.net or visit online at http://www.harrisburgu.net/academics/graduate/ltms-summer-clinic.php

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[TIPS] inanimate Alice

Thanks to Aly Tapp for sharing this one via the Diigo list.

http://www.inanimatealice.com/

This one is hard to explain, but one that elementary and middle school teachers, especially, are going to want to check out. This is a set of ten stories (now just three, so far) which will take Alice on a wild adventure, starting when she is just 8 years old and ending when she is .. well... here is how the site describes itself:

"'Inanimate Alice' tells the story of Alice, a young girl growing up in the
first half of the 21st century, and her imaginary digital friend, Brad.

Over ten episodes, each a self contained story, we see Alice grow from an eight
year old living with her parents in a remote region of Northern China to a talented
mid-twenties animator and designer with the biggest games company in the world. "

In each episode you may be asked to perform some sort of function, but you'll be learning about the country while you're at it. It's VERY child-safe, and it promises to be quite interesting. I'm going to bet that the kids are going to want to be checking in on Alice to read about her adventures.

The first story takes about 5 minutes to complete, and I haven't yet tried the others. Each screen has just one or two sentences to read, which keeps up the pace very nicely. One word of caution, though - get headsets for the students. For YOUR sake, not theirs. :-)

I'd LOVE to hear back from some teachers who try this with the students as the year closes. This looks like it would be a great activity for writing prompts, geography lessons (teamed up with Google Earth or Flash Earth), and more.

And, if you're going to teach with it, get yourself the little banner logo to put on  your website. What a clever idea.

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How to Fill In the Blanks in Spreadsheets

Question:-How I can Fill In the Blanks in Spreadsheets?
Answer:-How I can Fill In the Blanks in Spreadsheets
1. Select all the rows in your Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet data set.
2. On the Home tab, in the Editing section, click Find & Select, click Go To, click Special, click Blanks, and then click OK.
3. Click the equal sign (=) on the toolbar, select the cell above, and then hold down the CTRL key while you press ENTER. Blanks in the spreadsheet will be filled automatically.
4. Copy all the data, click Paste Special, and then click Values. This will overwrite the formulas and enable you to sort the data by filling in each empty cell with the same information as the one above. This tip will work on any size of data set.

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Posted in: MS Excel

How to Display More on the Screen by Changing Your View

Question:-How I can Display More on the Screen by Changing Your View ?
Answer:-Display More on the Screen by Changing Your View
You can change the view settings to display more on your screen. In Microsoft Office Outlook, click View, click Navigation Pane, and then click Minimized.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

How to Save Automatic in MS Office OneNote 2007

Quaestion:-How I can Save Automatic in MS Office OneNote 2007?
Answer:-Automatic Save in MS Office OneNote 2007
Can’t find the Save button? There isn’t one. Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 automatically saves and backs up your notes as you type them. To customize backup options, click Tools, click Options, and then click Backup

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Posted in: MS OneNote 2007

How to Sort Documents in SharePoint Libraries

Quaestion:-How I can Sort Documents in SharePoint Libraries?
Answer:-Sort Documents in SharePoint Libraries
You can change the default settings of your My SharePoint document libraries to sort by latest upload. You can then see at a glance what’s changed and what’s new.

1. Open your Microsoft SharePoint document library, and click Modify settings and columns under Actions in the task pane.
2. Under Views, click All Documents.
3. On the Edit View page, find the Sort section.
4. On the First sort by the column menu, click either Modified or Created, depending on whether documents will be uploaded once or changed and then uploaded again.
5. Select the Show items in descending order check box, and then click OK.

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Posted in: MS Share Point

How to View All the Text in Your Columns

Question:-How I can View All the Text in Your Columns?
Answer:-View All the Text in Your Columns
In Microsoft Office Excel, you can resize multiple columns to different widths so that you can see all the text in your spreadsheet.

1. Select the columns where your text appears by clicking the column headings. Select multiple columns if necessary.
2. To resize the columns to fit, double-click in the column heading, exactly on top of the border that divides any of the two columns you selected.

All of your selected columns are resized based on the longest text string in each column. In this way, a large and confusing spreadsheet with lots of text that you can't see is converted into a legible spreadsheet with all text showing.

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Posted in: MS Excel

[TIPS] Twenty five minutes on Twitter

Yes, I had a hard time seeing the value of twitter when I first got on it, and there was a period when I didn't even get on, thinking that it was just a complete waste of time. But then one day I was on and I got a couple good leads from it. Another time I was on and I was able to get some answers to a couple issues. So now, when I get the chance, I'll open it up. I'm using Twitbin  most of the time.

Just thought I'd share what I learned in just one 25 minute time period last week.

http://www.wired.com/science/space/multimedia/2008/04/gallery_hubble - Someone posted this link to some GREAT Hubble images
http://www.twhirl.org/ - someone else commented about using a different twitter client and I'm going to be trying that soon.
http://searchme.com - Someone pointed us to this cool "eye candy" search engine. Try it. It's lots of visual fun.
http://biz.animoto.com/education/faq.html - Someone else pointed us to the FAQ page on Animoto. Now GREAT for educators!
http://www.zhura.com - a Collaborative place for screenwriting. Looks very interesting
joined podcast - I was trying to join a podcast and didn't have the link. Saw one contributor in twitter and got the link!
And More - but I didn't start to record the links until well into it.

I just wish I could monitor it more often. I know now that I'm MISSING more than I'm GETTING.

Not on Twitter, yet? Sign up on twitter.com and then get a nice twitter addon for your browser to make it easy to follow the conversations. Then start to follow some of your favorite bloggers or other friends and teachers to hear what they're sharing.

Read more »

The Fourth Carnival of Computer Help and Advice

Welcome to the fourth monthly Carnival of Computer Help and Advice. As ever many blog authors contributed their posts, and as ever limitation of space means that some did not make it into the carnival.

We start with a carnival regular: Andrew Edgington writes posts on the subject of digital imagery. In Edit Your Digital Photos Andrew says Emailing your photos? A few tips. For those of you who use Photoshop he writes the Learn Photoshop Now blog, which has included the following recent posts: Brightening Dark Shadows; Screen Blending Mode; and, Create an image with a transparent background.

Eerik Toom presents more general advice for Windows users with How to make an older program run in Windows XP posted at Cool Windows XP tips & tricks. More useful advice from Jon Knight who lists 5 Things You Can Do to Start Your PC Faster at his Wordout blog. On the subject of lists, Paul Wilcox of Security Manor explains The Three Things You Need To Protect Against Internet Security Risks.

Phil for Humanity eulogises on The Merits of Two Backups - very good advice, the more backups the better. For all the webmasters out there Fred Black praises Google WebMaster Tools at his Internet Business Blog. Finally, ChristianPF advises us on How to watch HD TV on your computer at ChristianPF.com.

If you would like to host the next carnival leave a comment on this post or use the contact form over at our Blog Carnival page where you can also submit your blog posts for inclusion.

More next month.

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Posted in: Blog Carnival

Top ten Cyber security tips

For Teens, their teachers and families

Be a responsible cyber citizen-

• If you use the Internet, you're a citizen of a global community—a cyber citizen. Just like being a citizen of your local community, being a cyber citizen has responsibilities. Use the Internet to share knowledge that makes people's lives better. Keep safe, use good manners and respect the laws.

Use anti-virus software

• A computer virus is a program that can invade your computer and damage or destroy information. Anti-virus software is designed to protect you and your computer against known viruses. But with new viruses emerging daily, anti-virus programs need to be updated regularly. Check with the web site of your anti-virus software company to see some sample descriptions of viruses and to get regular updates for your software. Stop viruses in their tracks!

Do not open email from unknown sources-

• Delete email from unknown sources. Watch out for files attached to e-mails, particularly those with an "exe" extension—even if people you know sent them to you. Some files transport and distribute viruses and other programs that can permanently destroy files and damage computers and Web sites. Do not forward e-mail if you are not completely sure that any attached files are safe.

Use hard-to-guess passwords and keep them private-

• Do not write passwords down on small pieces of paper taped to your computer. You would be surprised how many people are sloppy about keeping their passwords private. Passwords that are easy to-guess are a bad choice. In other words, if your name is "Dan" do not make your password "Dan." Change your passwords regularly and don’t give your passwords to anyone! Tell your family that combinations of letters, numbers and symbols are harder to crack than just words.

Protect computers with firewalls-

• Install firewalls for your family-it is not difficult. A firewall helps prevent hackers from breaking into your computer or the computers that belong to your family. Firewalls help prevent thieves from stealing and using private information including your phone number and credit card numbers, which may be stored on a family computer.

Do not share access to your computers with strangers. Learn about file sharing risks -

• Your computer operating system may allow other computers on a network, including the Internet, to access the hard-drive of your computer in order to "share files". This ability to share files can be used to infect your computer with a virus or look at the files on your computer if you do not pay close attention. Check your operating system and other
  program help files to learn how to disable file sharing. Do not share access to your computer with strangers!
  

Disconnect from the Internet when not in use-

• The Internet is a two-way road. You get information and also send information. Turning off the Internet makes sure that someone else on the Internet can’t enter your computer and cause harm. Disconnecting your computer from the Internet when you are not online lessens the chance that someone will be able to access your computer.

Back-up your computer regularly-

• Help your family back up all household computers onto external media such as CD’s or diskettes.
  

Regularly download security protection update “patches”-

• Security flaws are regularly found in operating systems and application software. Companies that make software release quick fixes called "patches" that you should install to correct the latest software flaw. It is a good idea to check for security updates on the publisher's Web site for all the software you own.

Help your family to check computer security on a regular basis.-

• Evaluate computer security at least twice a year. To help remember, do it when you change the clocks for daylight-savings time! Check for all of the items listed previously.
  

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

How you can add a Shortcut Key to Your Internet Connection?

This basic and common way to dial the internet connection using giving path:

• 
  
  Click on Start Button > sittings then click on Network and dial-up connections option, here you can dial your internet connection.
• 
  
  Another way to dial your internet connection if you have a shortcut to your internet connection on your desktop. Simply boot your system and dial your internet connection from your desktop shortcut.
• A new cool tip to dial internet connection with out using the mouse, simply add a shortcut key that will allow you to do this.Just right-click on your Internet connection and go to Properties option. Click in the Shortcut Key box and then press a key combination that you would like to use here like (Ctrl-Alt-I). When you have a combination you like, click OK. Next time no need to use mouse to run your internet connection simply use this shortcut from your keyboard, you can just press your shortcut key combination (Ctrl-Alt-I) to launch your Internet connection.
  

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Posted in: Shortcut keys

A Quick way to print a Document

There are many ways to prints a document, but you can print a document quickly if you put a shortcut to the printer on your desktop and drag a document icon to it, no need to open file for printing just drag a file to printer icon and get your print.

To do this, first click Start button, Settings, then Printers ( first make sure you installed your printer driver). When the Printers window opens, hold down Ctrl and drag the printer icon to your system desktop.

Now you can drag a document icon and drop it in printer icon on your desktop. Here you will get a print quickly and with out open a file.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

Inserting a YouTube Video into Your Google Presentation

As I reported it is now possible to embed a YouTube video in your Google Presentation by simply using the Insert Video command and then searching for the video you would like to use. It is best to do your search within YouTube since it will help you to sort out which keywords to use to search for the video you will use. Here is a very simple Google Presentation showing you what a YouTube video looks like when it is embedded in your slide. I embedded a YouTube video that I created showing how you can Hide and Show the Ribbon in MindManager 7. Enjoy!

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Posted in: Google Apps,Google Presentation,MindManager,MindManager Pro 7,YouTube

Computer Tips and Tricks

Computer training is possible through formal education like online Computer tips, Networking Tips , Hardware Tips , Registry Tricks and other computer science programs also.

It is no great mystery that major shifts in cultural and societal processes are marked with new advances in technology. This is also true of information technology. The printing press, the camera, the telephone, the computer, the Internet and the cell phone, are all inextricably linked to major changes in human culture. The printing press is linked to the rise of social movements. The photograph and telephone are linked to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. The advent of early computers and television coincides with the first steps towards global consortiums like the League of Nations. Information media changes how we perceive the world around us. The following profiles are two examples of current media that are expected to make a difference in how information is generated and perceived.



ComputerBigLab.com has been designed as a free introductory level, online computer related website, providing tutorials on computer hardware, software, operating systems, and basic troubleshooting, IT glossary, IT certifications and IT interview questions and answers.

If you just want to learn more about your computer's hardware, networking, Certifications and other IT related information, here's a good place to start! Read the tutorials, then try the exercises and computer Tests provided. If you have trouble with the review questions, tutorials or any other please let us know.

The computer computer tips, Interview questions, networking and Free tests may also be helpful for those preparing for Certifications exams, preparing for the interview of computer related jobs, and for students, teachers and the IT professionals.

ComputerBigLab.com intended to help all the students, teachers, & other computer / IT professionals of the Computer Science & Computer Technology Field. We have sorted out much information to help them all.

We are continuously updating our website. If you have any questions, suggestions and feedback please let us know.

We can improve our website in a very progressive way with your help. Your feedback is always welcomed.

Computer Science and Computer Technology has become the vital part of the education throughout the world.

Computer training is possible through formal education attending one of the many colleges or university offering both IT and computer science programs.

The study skills lesson plans should be so structured that it is dynamic and capable of being altered to suit the student’s growing and changing needs. This helps to make the students more focused in their approach, as they are continually involved in the process of change. After all the students are the ultimate beneficiaries. This however does not mean that the content can be ignored. There should be adequate coverage of any topic so that a certain degree of mastery is indicated.

Whatever study skills lesson plans are drawn up, remember there is no end to it. All plans have only beginnings, for human beings are unique, and it is this uniqueness, which is conceptually infinite. Whatever plan we draw up will be inadequate, but we do require a basic framework from which to operate.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

Restore Show Desktop on taskbar

It's a common issue when you are dealing with spyware or other software unistallation on Windows XP your favorite Show Desktop icon to disappear from taskbar. Here is one relatively simple way how you can restore this useful icon:

• Create file named: Show Desktop.scf
• Open notepad and paste this content:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

• Save the file
• Go to C:\Documents and Settings\your_username\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
• Paste the file there.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

The Great Browser Question - Which to use?

What is a browser? Simplest possible terms it's the program that allows you to surf web pages. For most people that use Windows their browser of choice is Internet Explorer, but why? Well, simple answer to that is that it comes built in with your Windows system and it's highly integrated (perhaps too much so) into the Windows operating system. For most people IE is just fine and you don't really need another browser, but did you know that there are other browsers out there? Did you know some of them have really cool features? Well, there is this brave new world of browsers out there and it's time that you take a look and test drive other browsers, after all, just because you have Windows doesn't mean that you have to use IE. Here is the breakdown of what's out there at the moment

Mozilla - Oh, you gotta love open source, it sometimes produces the best programs out there and Mozilla is a happy result of this open source community. So, let's do a brief little history on Mozilla...many years ago in a galaxy far far away there was a browser that competed with Dark Empire (also known as Microsoft)...this brave browser was called Netscape Navigator. Well, years of struggle, and finally Netscape on deaths door does something that few expected, it gave away its source code and made it open source and asked a band of rebels to take the challenge of making a better browser than IE...lo and behold MOZILLA was born...yes Mozilla, the first distribution of it basically made this loud thudding sound...oh god was it bad, but still it kept growing, getting better, and soon became THE BEST BROWSER. Yes, it's grown so big now that it will be stepping on Tokyo soon and the cries of, "Mozilla is coming, Mozilla is coming" will be dubbed with an out of sync English accent. Seriously though, Mozilla is faster than any browser out there, it meets almost all the internet standards perfectly, and it's a very stable browser. For my money it's the best value, oh and it's free, yes I mentioned that right? Yes, well it is free. You can download Mozilla here www.mozilla.org . Many Linux users will be familiar with this browser since it comes as standard fair in most of the Linux distributions now.



Internet Explorer - Okay, so, this is the one most people use. Internet Explorer has come a long way and it's in many ways one of the things Microsoft succeeded with by paying attention to the internet standards that are currently out there. I find that Internet Explorer meets many of the HTML, CSS, XML, ASP, PHP, and pretty much any other webpage standard you want to throw at it...why is this good? Well, it means that the webpage will be displayed as the author intended it to be displayed. So, it is a very good web browser, however, I find on older systems like Win 95, 98, ME, if you screw up your IE, you screw up your whole damn operating system. This is where IE is just too integrated into the operating system and this is where you could end up in a little bit of trouble.

Opera - The innovative little browser that could. What makes this browser interesting is the features it adds beyond the basics of web browsing. One thing I like is the popup blocker included in the program. Yes those annoying popup ads are bye bye and they stay that way. It's a small, relatively fast browser, and generally I like it. It is web compliant, umm, mostly compliant, okay so I have used it and gotten some funky looking pages from time to time. The Con's of this browser - It costs, umm, $30 the last time I checked...if you don't pay you can have a freeware version that's supported with advertising. It sort of makes me cringe to pay anything for a web browser, mainly because the best browser is free, but I can't fault Opera for wanting to make money, not every program can be open source. I think Opera will have it's market in Palm devices because of it's ability to render pages small and to still make them look like web pages. Give it a download here www.opera.com if you want to give it a try.

Avant - This is more of an add-on to Internet Explorer, so it won't get really that big of a write up. Originally it was called IE Opera, umm, yeah good name considering there was already a browser named Opera, but anyway, so they became Avant. Pluses about this browser, it has a very effective popup blocker and some quick mouse gesture things, so it's more of an add-on to IE and it does work rather nice, but, it's still basically Internet Explorer.

Netscape Navigator - I put this browser last, because, well, basically Mozilla and Netscape are indistinguishable at the moment. Netscape is basically Mozilla only they make you register to use the browser, which isn't that bad, but still it's basically Mozilla or is Mozilla basically Netscape. The line is getting blurred a bit. The positives about Netscape, well, I used them loyally for years, so I'll always have a bit of loyalty towards them. Second, I liked that they knew when they needed help and opened their source code. One other pro is that their email client that comes attached with the browser will accept AOL mail, so if you want an email client for you AOL account this is the way to go (AOL bought out Netscape a few years ago). Basically Netscape is Mozilla that you have to register to use...but still, it is a good browser and has some interesting integrations in it, like ICQ, AIM, etc.

So that's the list, did I miss some browsers, umm, yeah, probably I did, but I'll make this list longer as new browsers come out. Which browsers do I use, I like Mozilla, it is the fastest most stable...that would be my choice, but any of the browsers listed will do a good job, you just have to pick a browser that's best for you. Mozilla is coming...oops, sorry, I couldn't resist.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

Closing Error Reporting (Win XP)

Error reporting, what is it and why does Microsoft want you to have it on? Basically whenever your computer crashes Win XP makes a little report of what went wrong and then sends it to Microsoft so they can improve the Windows Operating System. Generally it sounds like a nice idea, but do you really want to be sending reports about your computer to Microsoft? I personally don't and they allow you to shut off this feature. Here's how you do it:

• Open your control panel
• Click on Performance and Maintenance
• Then click on System
• Go to the Advance Tab
• Click on the Error Reporting button at the bottom
• Select Disable Error Reporting
• Click the "But notify me when a critical error occurs"
• Click Ok Twice.

You can leave out step 7, but I like my operating system to tell me when its had a major error, mainly because I can look up the cause of the error and hopefully find a solution to it on the net or at Microsoft. There you have it, error reporting to Microsoft is off and you don't have to worry about sending a report to Bill Gates.

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Posted in: Windows

Work in On-screen Keyboard

This might seem like a silly tip or even a silly function, but I've already found a use for it once and I'm sure that you'll be able to use it at some point. Windows XP comes with a built in on screen keyboard. Basically a graphic of a keyboard comes up and acts like your keyboard, you can use your mouse to hunt and peck around. What uses does this have and what did I use it for? Well, it's good for people with disabilities, where it would be easier to use a mouse than trying to type or it's great to use when your keyboard goes loco on you. Yes, we've all had our keyboard go nuts. Here is how you launch it:

• Go to start
• Go to run and type OSK
• Then the keyboard comes on

It's just that simple. It's best to make a desktop icon for it or a shortcut, because if your keyboard should go out on you, it would be handy to have it. All you do to create the shortcut is to:

• Right click on the desktop
• Click the new shortcut button
• Type osk, click next twice, and there you have it.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

Moving The Taskbar

I bet you didn't know that you could move your taskbar if you wanted. Mostly I leave mine at the bottom, like the rest of the population, but occasionally I feel like going wild and have the taskbar at the top of my computer. The Taskbar is that thin bar at the bottom where you can see all your open programs, the start menu, the clock, etc. Now, in WinXP they made it very nice to move it. This is how:

* Right Click on the Taskbar
* Click, Lock the Taskbar, until there is no check there
* Left Click on the task bar and move it to where you want it...it will always rest up against an edge, so top, left or right.
* Then click, Lock the Taskbar, again and it won't move from that spot.



These are the same instructions for Windows 98, ME, 2k, only you don't have to unlock the taskbar, you just left click on it and move...this was easier, but also you sometimes accidentally moved the task bar when you didn't want it to move, ugh. Well, there you have it, now put your taskbar to the top and see if you like it.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

How to Send Contact Information in Read-Only Format?

Question:-How I Can Send Contact Information in Read-Only Format?
Answer:-Send Contact Information in Read-Only Format
Sharing contact information is easy in Microsoft Office Outlook.
1. Find the contact whose business card details you want to send.
2. Right-click the business card, and then click Send as Business Card. Outlook opens an e-mail message with the card attached and also includes the card in the body of the message.
3. Address the message and click Send.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

How to Use 2003 to 2007 Presenter View

Question:-How I can use 2003 to 2007 Presenter View?
Answer:- 2003 to 2007 Presenter View
Would you like to have access to your slide notes during a presentation—without printing? Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 features a multiple-monitor view that can display your presentation on one monitor and your notes on another monitor. But your computer must have two video cards, a requirement that only professional presentation computers are likely to possess.

With Presenter view in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, you can use your notebook computer's dual monitor capability to display the presentation on an external monitor (like a projector) and display your notes, thumbnails of the upcoming slides, and a presentation timer on your local monitor.

To enable Presenter view:
1. On the Slide Show tab, in the Monitors section, click the Use Presenter View check box.
2. Select which monitor will display the external slide show.

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Posted in: 2003 vs 2007

How to Return to the Last Edit in a Microsoft Office Word

Question:-How I Can Return to the Last Edit in a Microsoft Office Word Document?
Answer:-Returning to the Last Edit in a Microsoft Office Word Document
If you want to return to where you last made a change in a Word document, press SHIFT+F5, and you will go straight back to the point of the last edit.

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Posted in: MS Word

How to fill a selected range with the same data

Question:-How I can fill a selected range with the same data?
Answer:-Fill a selected range with the same data
Need to enter the same data in a range of cells? Here’s how:
1. Select a range of cells.
2. Type in some data.
3. Use the fill function in Microsoft Office Excel—press CTRL+ENTER, and the range selected will be filled with the same data.

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Posted in: MS Excel

How to View Emails by conversation

Question:-How I can arrange E mails by Conversation?
Answer:-Arrange Your E mails by conversation
Usually, you see e-mail messages in the order in which they arrive. But if you need to read the background of a message, switch to Conversation view to see the rest of the thread.
In Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, click View, click Arrange By, and then click Conversation.
In Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, click View, and then click Arrange By Conversation.

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Posted in: MS Outlook 2007

Meeting the Visual Strategist- Kyle McFarlin

It was a real treat to have the time to meet with Kyle McFarlin, the Visual Strategist, this weekend in Cleveland, OH. Having spoken a number of times on the phone and on Skype it is always great fun to finally meet Kyle in person. We had a chance to speak about the state of visual mapping and to catch up with one another. Kyle and I spoke about the upcoming visual mapping event on October 1, 2008 and how excited he is to be able to participate in it. The theme for the event is: Intelligent Visual Mapping: graphical information management, solving your real world problems. Join us for this wonderful event on:

Wednesday, October 01, 2008 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

College of St. Elizabeth
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
USA
To Register for the event click here

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Posted in: brian friedlander,conference,Kyle McFarlin,mind mapping,MindManager,MindManager 7

Google Apps- New Features

I have been a big fan of Google Apps and with each passing day the suite of applications keeps getting better and better. Today Google added two new features which I thought would be of interested to you. Google Presents just added the ability to add Speaker Notes which is certainly a really nice feature. You can access the feature when editing a slide- simply click on the Speaker icon on the bottom right of the slide.


This will open up a window where you can type your notes. With the release of this upgrade we will now have the ability to embed a YouTube video right within a Google Presentation. I'm sure this is going to be a big feature and one that most users will delighted to have. Enjoy the new features and isn't great that all we have to do to access these features is point our browser to Google Apps.

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Posted in: Google,Google Apps,Google Presentation,Speaker Notes,YouTube

Adsense tips and tricks

Adsense tips and tricks
Many webmasters have made very successful websites by using Google's Adsense and for some, it is now their sole job. When you are running a large site, a small change in the way that the Adsense code is placed on your site can make a substantial difference in your income.
The best way to find out where to place your Adsense banner, what colour and what type of banner to use is to try different combinations. Though it does not harm if you start out with the methods that another webmaster find good.

Never click your own Adsense Banner
If you can see the Adsense banner, it will work. Do not test if it, as Google is quite against this.

Never explicitly encourage Adsense Banner clicking
Do not ask friends or family to click your ads. Google not only dislikes it, but it can sometimes confuse the intelligence used to select advertisements.

Ad placement
The best location for the ads are within the content, but still visible without scrolling down the page.



Color
Adsense banners perform better when the border and background are the same colour as your page.

Blend with navigation
As an alternative placement, Adsense ads do well if they are blended in and look like your normal site navigation.

Size
The large 336x280 rectangle banner or 160x600 wide skyscraper seems to perform best.

Drawing the eye
Placing images next to ads or above ads helps in attracting user attention.

Ad overload
It is often said that more is less, and the same goes for placing ads on websites. If a website has too many ads, the user just ignores them and they all perform poorly. If a website has a few well placed ads, they can get a better click through.
Adsense banners perform better when the border and background are the same colour as your page.

Search Box
If you are going to use the search box, place it on the top right corner of every page. This is where people expect it to be.

Focus on content
Don't forget why users are visiting your site. They are there for the content and only the content. Why spend a week improving your Adsense click through then you can spend a week improving your site content and number of clicks as a result.

Be different
If your site is similar to many other sites, users will be used to ignoring your Adsense banner.

Moderate to low priced keywords
Do not create a site that targets the highest paying keywords as they often have the worst click through rates. Find a niche topic and don't care if your ads are getting $0.03 or $0.50. It all comes down to getting more traffic and a better click through rate, not more per click.

Whitespace
Make sure that your site is not cluttered and there is sections of your site with clear space. This can be achieved just by having a wide margin between page items. With skill, whitespace can be used to guide the users eyes to the Adsense banners.

One topic per page
If you have only one topic per page, it will help Adsense find the best ads to show

Simple design
Keep the design of your site simple. It will give the user less design elements or eye candy to look at.

No moving / blinking page elements
All moving and blinking pages elements attract the users eye and stop the user from seeing the Adsense ad. No matter how small it is, if it moves it will attract the users eye.

Monitor your website statistics
Watch your website statistics to see what pages are attracting the users and what is not. Create more pages similar to your high traffic pages.

Experiment
Try many different styles and methods of placing your ads. Never settle on just one style until you are sure it is the best.

What to do next
Create more content. Content is the biggest key to create a site that earns good money with Adsense.

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Posted in: google

Workshop IDS 11.50 (Lisbon 26-28 May)

As the title suggests this post refers to a workshop that will be held in Lisbon on May 26-28 about IDS 11.50 (Cheetah 2).
As this will be a local Workshop the rest of the post will be in Portuguese. Information about other locations can be seen at the IIUG site

A IBM irá realizar um workshop para parceiros e clientes dedicado à versão 11.50 do IDS em Lisboa. Ao contrário de outras localizações, onde o workshop será de dois dias, Lisboa terá um evento de três dias, tendo como objectivo rever algumas das funcionalidades da versão 11.10 lançada o ano passado.

O workshop servirá para transmitir o posicionamento do produto e as novas funcionalidades desta versão que se encontra nesta altura em fase open beta. Os participantes poderão experimentar o produto e as novas funcionalidades em ambientes pré-configurados.
Será também uma excelente oportunidade para conhecer os serviços técnicos que a IBM disponibiliza.

A forma de registo deverá ser anunciada brevemente, e se participou em algum dos eventos anteriores relacionados com Informix é provável que receba um convite. De momento a única informação disponível publicamente está no site do IIUG (link acima), mas em caso de interesse reserve desde já os dias indicados: 26, 27 e 28 de Maio.

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Folder types: Music, Pictures, Videos, Documents, etc

Windows Explorer has different looks for different folders depending on the type of files contained within them. The bar down the left hand side of the Explorer window will have different content - as shown below - and the files in the folder will be displayed in different ways.


Sometimes Windows selects the wrong folder type, or you may wish to change the style of the folder for some other reason. To do this you can either select 'Customize this folder...' from the 'View' menu, or right-click on some space in the folder and select 'Customize this folder...' from the menu that opens - as in the following image.


This will open up the 'Properties' dialogue box and take you to the 'Customize' page on which you can change the folder type as well as the pictures and icon that Windows displays for this folder. There are a variety of folder types that can be selected from the drop-down list. When you are done, click the 'OK' button.


Note: You cannot change these settings for the root directory on a hard-drive. That is, you cannot customize the top level of the C:/ drive or any other hard-drives that you may have installed.

Thanks to JohnGuru at The Ivory Tower for pointing this tip out to me.

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Posted in: Windows GUI

How to use 2003 to 2007 Tri-Pane Review

Question:-How I can use 2003 to 2007 Tri-Pane Review in Microsoft Office?
Answer:-Use 2003 to 2007 Tri Pane Review
In Microsoft Office Word 2003, you can use the Compare Side-by-Side command to display two documents next to each other so that you can compare them. However, this is only a view and doesn't indicate actual changes to the document. The Compare and Merge command shows document changes but automatically merges the two together, regardless of whether or not you're ready.

In Microsoft Office Word 2007, a side-by-side view is still available if you want it, but the Compare feature now offers a tri-pane review: the original document in one pane, the revised document in another pane, and a combined version of the document with changes marked in a third pane. The tri-pane view shows document changes even if the other person forgot to turn on the Track Changes feature. If you want to keep the combined document, you can simply save it as a separate file.

To use tri-pane review:
1. Click the Review tab, and then click Compare in the Compare section.
2. Click Compare, and then select the original and revised documents that you want to view

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Posted in: 2003 vs 2007

What are the Different Steps Through Formulas

Question:-How I can perform different steps while using formulas?
Answer:- Perform different step through formulas
When you're writing complex formulas, a slight difference in brackets, for example, can entirely change the result of the calculation of a formula. Microsoft Office Excel adheres to the standard order of precedence for calculations, with percentages, exponents, multiplication, and division performed in that order before finally calculating addition and subtraction. For example, 7+5*3 = 22, because the 5*3 is calculated first. (7+5)*3 = 36, because the parentheses force the addition to be completed first.

If you're unsure how Excel is evaluating a formula:
1. Click the cell, click the Formulas ribbon, and then click Evaluate Formula in the Formula Auditing section.
2. Click the Evaluate button to watch as each part of the formula is successively calculated, ensuring that each step of the calculation is valid.

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Posted in: MS Excel

WriteOnline Demo

I received a comment today from Jim who has been beta testing WriteOnline and he was kind enough to send me a link meets Web 2.0 for to get a better idea of the features and capabilities of WriteOnline. As Tim said- WriteOnlineassistive technology. Crick Software as certainly raised the bar and has found a way to give students access to the tools and supports they need wherever they are as long as they are connected to the web.

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Posted in: Crick Software,Web 2.0,word processor,WriteOnline

[TIPS] webware 100 winners

The top ten sites in ten categories. See there here: http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100/2008/winners.html

 

Think you're pretty web savvy about which sites are hot and which are not? How many on this list did YOU know?

 

Get your Diigo or Delicious tags ready. You'll be bookmarking a LOT of these, I'll betcha.

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Using AutoText in Word

If there are things that you find yourself typing regularly, there is a way of increasing your productivity. By using Word's AutoText feature you only have to start typing a few letters of your name or postal address before it offers an option to fill the rest of the text for you. Word comes with a number of entries already set up. If you start to type the word 'Cordially', you should notice a little box appear like the one pictured below. As it says, just press Enter and Word will insert the rest of the text.

If this does not appear, you probably have AutoComplete switched off. To switch this on, and to see a list of all the existing AutoText entries, pull down the 'Insert' menu and from the 'AutoText' sub-menu click on 'AutoText...', which will open the following dialog box.


Make sure that 'Show AutoComplete selections' is ticked. You can also create a new AutoText entry with this dialog by typing the text where indicated and clicking the 'Add' button; however, there is an easier way to do it.

Click on 'OK' to close the dialog box and in your current word document type your name. Select the text and either pull down the 'Insert' menu, then the 'AutoText' sub-menu, and click on 'Add...' or simply hold down the Alt key and press F3. You will then be asked to give the new AutoText entry a name.


From now on when you start to type your name you will be offered the option to insert it as with 'Cordially'. The advantage of entering new AutoText this way is that you can insert text that spans several lines like your postal address. All you need to do is type it in select it and press Alt and F3, as before. You can even add pictures to AutoText by selecting them along with some text or on their own and following the above instructions.

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Posted in: Keyboard shortcut,Word Processing

IT Marketing: Who Are the Decision Makers?

You have to know which decision makers you need to reach before you create a targeted IT marketing plan. How do you choose your decision makers?

First of all, if you target by a specific industry with your IT marketing campaign, knowing how to identify the decision makers will be easier than without targeting at all. When you know your niche, you will be able to choose trade groups, find lists, find conferences to go to and figure out major problems of your prospects.

So once you decide on your niche, how do you find a decision maker? What will the role and job title be for this type of person with your IT marketing efforts?

IT Marketing: Two Likely Contacts

In most cases with small businesses, there will be two types of main contact people. There will be the person you want to reach that signs the checks, purchase orders or contracts and purchase authorizations. This person is typically responsible for the profit and loss statement of the company. Sometimes this is the owner or a partner, especially when you’re dealing with small businesses.

The second important person to reach with IT marketing is the internal guru. This is the person that most people call when there are computer problems, even though handling computer problems are not this person’s main job. Often this person is an office manager or an executive or administrative assistant.

IT Marketing: When You’re in Doubt …

If you’re not sure who is who with small businesses, make sure you ask who wears which hat. Who makes major financial decisions? Who gets called when the laser printer jams or the Internet connection goes down? Who liaises with the tech vendor? If you can answer these questions, you’ll have a better idea about who you need to target with your IT marketing plan.

Added By: Computer Consulting Kit

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Posted in: IT marketing

Backing Up Your Data - Easy As USB

Why is it that simple steps often are overlooked? A great example is backing up all that data on your hardrive. From flash drives to external USB drives, backing up gigabytes of your most important files, digital photos, mp3 music, etc… has become easy and cost effective thanks to USB.

Why USB?

Because it's simple to connect and easy to drag and drop directories or files to the USB drive. When you're finished, just unplug the drive and keep it in a safe place. No more excuses NOT to backup your data.

You just can't beat the price. From 1GB flash memory to 250GB of storage, prices can range from $20 - $250. A small investment that will pay dividends when you discover your PC hard drive just died.

High speed connection. USB 2.0 data transfer speeds are blazing fast, as much as 450Mbps (mega bits per second). Gone are the days of the slow moving flying folders across your monitor.

Portability. From storing 1byte to hundreds of Gigabytes, you now have no more excuses that the dog ate your report.



Plug and Play. USB drives are fully compatible with Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems. Depending on the format of the drive, the possibility exists to copy data from one OS and connect to another without needing to be a Computer expert.

Simple. Ahhh yes, we as human love simple things. So why is that we never have time to backup what we consider important data. If you took inventory of the type data you keep on your PC, it will probably surprise you. Losing that data is like losing everything if your house burnt down to the ground. Sure, your USB drive will also be gone, but you probably take precautions with important paperwork by keeping them in a fireproof safe or at another location. Isn't time that you add digital data to that same thinking?

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Posted in: Windows

Pop-Ups Something To Be Worried About

Pop-ups are the annoying ads and other things on the Internet that open on your monitor as you're surfing the web. Their main goal is to either get you to visit a certain website or to collect your name and email address for marketing purposes.

These pop-ups are usually caused by something called Javascript, which is a simple programming language built into the web page you're visiting.

Sometimes these pop-ups can be useful. It may ask you for your login information or something else to log you into the website, or it might give you more information on something without taking you away from the page you're looking at. Music sites, for example, often use a pop-up for their players. These reasons are all legitimate uses and are quite a bit more acceptable than some of the advertising pop-ups.

The Javascript language can set the size of the window, where it's displayed on the screen and even whether or not the close button gets displayed. If the menu bars and close button are hidden, it can be next to impossible to get rid of the pop-up, unless you either enter what it's asking for or close your browser completely.

Some of these pop-ups can cause other problems as well. They may be poorly programmed, or they may be intentionally malicious and can cause many windows to be opened. And when you close one, several more open to replace it. When this happens, the only way to get rid of them is to close the browser.

A recent type of pop-up is created using software called Flash and can even be made to follow your mouse around the screen as you move it.

One of the more notorious uses of pop-ups is in adware, which often opens pop-ups related to the web pages you're looking at, even if it's not from that website. This adware is supported by advertising, which is why it uses these pop-ups to get your attention. It usually comes along with some other program, which may actually be useful, and gets installed at the same time. If you don't read the license agreement closely when you install it, you might miss the fact that this is going to happen even though they tell you (although it's usually hidden somewhere in the middle of the agreement, where most people never see it).

Another form of pop-up is called the pop-under. It opens a window behind the main window and you won't see it until you close your main browser window. These types are less annoying, but can still be a pain.

The main problem with pop-ups is the nuisance they cause, and almost every web browser has some kind of pop-up killer included these days.

You can also get specialized pop-up killer software that will catch most of the pop-ups that the browsers miss, giving you an almost 100% pop-up free internet experience.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

Secure A Home Wireless Network - 10 Tips

Just as you secure your home by locking your doors and windows, you should also take precautions of securing your home wireless network. For the average home user this can be frustrating and confusing to say the least. To help make the process simple, the following 10 tips will help you with securing your home wireless network.

Remember no network will be completely secure, but following the recommendations and providing multiple layers of security, will lessen the risk from someone breaking into your network. Some of the tips include technical terms. Always consult your wireless router vendor documentation or website support as needed. Before making any changes, backup the router configuration or write down all configured settings.

All tips are for home use. If you are connecting to your Company network with your wireless router, contact your Company I.T. department for assistance.

1. Change Your Router Default Password - A must in the first line of defense. Create a strong password with a mix of numeric, alpha and symbolic characters. Password length should be between 8 and 15 characters, or longer in length, and should not be obvious to you (such as kids or wife name, birthdays, favorite cars or sports teams, etc). If your wireless router includes a user name, it's a good idea to change it to another name other than the default name.
2. Rename and Disable SSID Broadcast on your Wireless Router - SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the network name or identifier for the wireless router. SSID's broadcast a beacon signal (usually about 10 times each second) which announces to the world that the network is live and ready to go.
   
   With broadcasting off, wireless clients must first know the SSID before they can connect. If you have multiple PC's on your home network simply type the new name in your wireless client's setup to connect to your router when SSID is disabled.
   
   Remember to always change the SSID name to something other than the default.
   
3. Enable Infrastructure Mode - When using the "ad-hoc" mode, which lets clients set up peer-to-peer networks, rogue users will be able to connect to your network through a legitimate wireless client. This setting configuration can be found on your PC wireless network card.
4. Use MAC Addressing Filter On Your Wireless Router - Many routers let you restrict access to known MAC (Media Access Control) addresses. Each network device, such as a computer network card (NIC) has a unique MAC address. By allowing access only to pre-defined MAC addresses you can reduce the risk of rogue clients connecting to your home network.
5. Change the Default Router IP Address Setting - Router manufacturers set every router with an IP address. For example, Linksys routers are configured with an IP address of 192.168.1.1. These address settings are well known and published, and can be easily discover by hackers if they know the router manufacturer and type.
   
   Changing the IP address during the setup process, for example to 192.168.80.1 does not secure the router, but will make any attackers guessing for the IP address. Changing this setting, will automatically change the DHCP IP addresses handed out by your router to PC's allowed on your network.
6. Use WPA or WPA2 PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access with Pre Shared Key) Encryption - When possible use WPA or WPA2 PSK over WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). Both Windows XP and Mac OS X support them, along with any access point manufactured within the past few years. WPA and WPA2 both have a mode called the PSK mode that will allow you to use a password in lieu of using a full-blown 802.1X setup, which is perfect for the home user.
   
   If your hardware does not support WPA2 use WPA. Creating a strong shared key (PSK) will lessen the chance of attackers successfully breaking in to your network. If you router only supports WEP, and your concerned about security, considered upgrading to a new router along with your PC NIC cards.
7. HTTPS, Firewall and Remote Access Settings On Your Wireless Router - Make sure HTTPS is enable for connecting to the router administration setup over your local network. Verify the firewall is enabled and all incoming ports are blocked. Disable remote access over the Internet setting.
   
   If for any reason you need to provide remote access via the Internet, enable it only when needed and change the default management port setting to something other than 8080.
8. Enable And Monitor Your Wireless Access Logs - Check your logs frequently for rogue access points (AP) or clients attached to the network. If you spot unknown clients or AP's connected to your network, change your WEP or WPA code, and do a little detective work in identifying unknown connections to your network.
   
   Also check the status screen that shows the MAC addresses of all clients currently connected to the network and verify they are known devices.
9. Backup Your Router Configuration Settings - Although, not considered a security setting, backing up the router configuration before making changes will allow you to easily restore the settings in the event you make a mistake. This will prevent your router from being vulnerable if you are unsure about any changes you have made.
10. Turn off Your Wireless Router When Not In Use - Why would you want to do this? When your router is powered off, your network cannot be compromised. Consider doing this when you go on vacation or you will not be using you network for extended periods of time. Just turning off your PC may prevent the PC from being attacked, but it will not prevent someone from breaking into your network via your router if it is powered on.
    

Bonus Security Tip - Get in the habit of changing your router password every 30 to 60 days. Also change your PSK several times a year. Changing these two settings may just kick that un-detected guest off your network (take that neighbor!). Limit the maximum number of DHCP users allowed on your network to just the known number of PC's in your house. Limiting this setting can be an indication of someone on your network to you if one of your PC's cannot obtain an IP address from your router.

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Posted in: Tips-and-tricks

How to enter a fraction in a cell

Question :- How I can Enter a Fraction in a Cell
Answer :- Enter a Fraction in a Cell
Microsoft Office Excel can display, and take data entry as, fractions as well as decimal numbers. To enter a fraction, simply prefix it with a zero and a space. So to display the fraction one-third, type 0 1/3. This will display 1/3 but will have an underlying value of 0.33333333

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Posted in: MS Excel

How to set the Format for Pasting in Word 2007

Question :-How I can Set Pre-define the Format for Pasting in Word 2007
Answer :-Pre-define the Format for Pasting in Word 2007
In a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document, each time you paste some text or an image, you can select the format (source formatting, destination formatting, or text only) by clicking the clipboard icon. In Microsoft Office Word 2007 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, you can still do this manually or, more conveniently, set the default paste formatting mode.
Here’s how: Go to Advanced Options or click the Set Default Paste option when the clipboard icon appears, and then set your preferences. The pasted text and images will now be formatted automatically according to your settings.

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Posted in: MS Word

John Crick's Comment about WriteOnline

It was a real surprise this morning to wake up to a comment on my blog from John Crick, the CEO of Crick Software whom I have known for quite sometime who commented on WriteOnline. You can read my original post about WriteOnline by clicking here. I thought that it was important for everyone to see his comment in a post rather than have it buried in a Comment. So here it is. And John thanks for taking the time to write a comment.

"Brian is the first person in the US to write anything about WriteOnline! We are currently in beta with the UK version and we have orders from hundreds of UK schools and a number of whole districts. We've just gone live (late on Thursday) with our new LearningGrids World site in both the UK and US (at the usual LearningGrids.com address). This will be used to deliver WriteOnline. You can view a tour of WriteOnline on this site at http://www.learninggrids.com/WriteOnlinePage.aspx?siteid=2
We are expecting to 'ship' WriteOnline in the US at the end of June (do you 'ship' an online product?)."

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Posted in: clicker 5,Crick Software,John Crick,WriteOnline

Pulse Smartpen Update

Many of my readers have asked me to post some of the audio recordings from my Pulse Smartpen and I just wanted to let you know that it is in the works. I hope to be to do this by the end of the week. I had the opportunity to use the Pulse Smartpen last week in a large lecture hall and the audio recording using the 3D recording headset was exceptional.The quality is surreal! I hope to be able to share the page and audio very soon.

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Posted in: livescribe,pulse digital pen,smartpen