Thursday, July 12, 2007

know more about computer...


Did You Know? Did you know that in MS Word, you can edit your document while the Find window is still open?I know, I know. I hear you! Every time you've ever tried to edit a document while a window (such as the font formatting window) is open, you get nowhere. That window just sits there, open and waiting. You certainly aren't going to make any changes to the document until you've made your choices and either clicked OK or Cancel. It's hard to believe the Find window behaves differently, isn't it? Yeah, I thought so too, but then I tried it and sure enough, it worked! I had the Find window open, clicked out into my document and poof, my cursor appeared in the document, allowing me to edit as much as I wanted. Now, I should mention that the Find window remains on top until you close it, but it does lose focus (its title bar lightens, denoting that it isn't the window with the current focus) and it can be dragged around the screen.When you need the Find function again, simply click into the window. It will resume control and you're back on your way!

Q:
Do you happen to know anything about Slingbox? I've seen it mentioned in a few articles I've read online and it sounds pretty neat, but I don't fully understand what it is. Please inform us!

A:
Ah, I'm so glad you asked this question! Slingbox is one of the newest and coolest features to hit the Internet in a long time. I mean, of course, the Internet is always changing and there are always new things you can do with it, but Slingbox brings a little different mix to the table. As you can see, I am already in love with Slingbox and I'm just so excited to tell all of you about it too. So, what do you say we stop wasting time and get right down to it? Here we go!First of all, Slingbox is a new product that allows you to remotely watch and control your television via the Internet. It sounds too good to be true already, doesn't it?! So, how does it work? Well, basically, it routes signals from your satellite, cable box or personal video recorder and puts them through to your computer. It can do this for any computer you have in your home, as long as it has an Internet connection. Even more, it can transmit the signals to any computer in the entire world that happens to have a broadband Internet connection. Or if you're away from your computer or you don't want to bring your laptop along, Slingbox also works for any Windows based cell phone or PDA. Wow!So, yes, in case you're still not sure what I'm saying, with Slingbox, you can watch television on your computer at any time and from anywhere you may go. As long as you have an Internet connection, it will always work like a charm. And no, this doesn't just include the basic television channels. It includes any subscriptions you may have (PayPerView, for example), any special programming, sports packages, etc. It doesn't even charge you extra for any of that. Slingbox brings all the television perks you're used to right to your computer, with absolutely no hassle!Slingbox is made by Sling Media and they even offer up different packages to help you stay connected to all your television favorites. You can choose from SlingboxTUNER, SlingboxAV or SlingboxPRO. These are all planned out according to different television needs, programming packages and the different types of television equipment you may have. So, all in all, SlingboxTUNER is designed to transmit regular television signals to your computer, SlingboxAV was created to transmit digital programming from satellites, DVRs and digital cable and the SlingboxPRO is used when several different multimedia configurations are needed.Now, I know you're probably wondering a little more about how Slingbox actually works. Well, let me tell you! If you decide to use this service, you will get a Slingbox device that plugs into your television source, whether that be cable, satellite, a set-top box or DVR, etc. The device uses either a coaxial, component, composite or S-video cable, depending on what you need. The network connector then hooks up to your Internet router with either a standard ethernet cable or a special adapter if you want to go wireless. A Slingbox infrared cable is then pointed toward your television set and that is what gives you the ability to control your TV right from your computer. There is also some SlingPlayer software that comes along with the whole setup that you'll have to install on your computer, but other than that, it's pretty simple to get it up and running.If you are interested in checking out Slingbox some more or even getting it for yourself, you can do so from this Web site. It gives you all the information you need to understand it better and to place your order for it. Just use the links along the top of the page to navigate through the site. Once you go through everything, I think you will love Slingbox as much as I do. I'm definitely looking into getting it very soon. It's just too cool to pass up. Check it out today and enjoy!
More Printer Troubleshooting Tips 

Many issues can occur when printing with any application you may use on your computer. The causes of these issues will vary though and that's exactly what we're going to go over today. The following procedures will help resolve general printing issues that may occur. The most common cause of printing issues involves conflicts between the program and the printer driver, which acts as a translator between the printer and the application. First, verify that the driver for your printer is up to date. You can contact your printer's manufacturer for the latest driver for the printer in use as well. Most manufacturers offer these updated drivers as a free download from their Web site.Below are some additional suggestions for troubleshooting printer issues.Print a Bitmap Image Using MS PaintThis procedure will verify that the printer is functioning properly, using a program other than the one used when the printing issue occurs. 1.) Close any open programs or windows and return to your desktop. 2.) Click Start, All Programs, choose Accessories and then click Paint. This will launch the Microsoft Paint program. 3.) Click File in the menu bar and then click Open. 4.) Locate and double click on any Bitmap (*.bmp) file. The bitmap image you selected should now be open in Microsoft Paint.5.) Click the File menu and select Print. 6.) Click OK to begin the printing. 7.) If the printout appears faded, the ink cartridge may be low and may need replaced. If the printout appears clear, verify that the latest print driver for the printer is installed. Contact the printer manufacturer for updated information and procedures. Printer Emulation If the printed output from a particular program is incorrect or if nothing prints at all, there may be a conflict between the program and the printer. This is a common issue, especially when printing to newer printers from software that is a few years old. Printer conflicts are typically resolved by loading a different printer driver to emulate the printer being used and selecting that printer emulation when printing from the affected program. Contact your printer's manufacturer to identify what driver or drivers will emulate the particular printer in use. The steps below describe how to change the printer driver. Changing the Printer Driver1.) Close any open programs or windows and return to your desktop. 2.) Double click the My Computer icon. 3.) Double click the Printers icon.Note: For Windows XP users, perform the following procedure and then skip to Step 4. In the Other Places panel on the left side of the window, click Control Panel. Click the Printers and Other Hardware button. Click the Printers and Faxes button. In the Printer Tools panel on the left side of the window, click Add a Printer. The Add Printer Wizard dialogue should now open.4.) Click Next. 5.) If the printer is connected to the computer directly, select Local. If the printer is accessed through a network, select Network. 6.) Click Next. The window that appears displays a list of printer manufacturers on the left side and the corresponding models on the right side. Note: For Windows XP users, remove the checkmark from the option to automatically detect Plug and Play printers.7.) Select the appropriate manufacturer and model for the emulation printer obtained from the printer manufacturer (see Printer Emulation). Note: If the manufacturer or model is not in the list, refer to your printer's manual or contact the printer manufacturer to determine another emulation driver for the printer.8.) In the screen that opens, configure the port the printer is attached to. (Most of the time, a local printer will be attached to LPT1). If a different LPT port or alternate connection is used, such as USB, select the appropriate option and click Next.9.) Name the printer or use the default printer name. The opportunity to select this printer as the default printer is also presented. If Yes for the default option is selected, all Windows applications will use this printer automatically. Select No if a default printer in Windows is already selected and you want to have this printer driver available for printing when using a particular program.

Note: Some programs (typically older programs) only print using the default printer and will not allow a different printer to be chosen when printing. If the program you are having issues with when printing does not allow a different printer to be chosen when printing, set the emulation printer you are installing as the default for now. After troubleshooting, the default printer can be changed back to the correct printer by repeating Steps 1 through 3 to open the printer’s window. Then right click the correct printer icon and left click Set as Default from the menu that appears. Hope this one helps to fix all your printing problems!
Q:
Can you tell me anything about Mozilla's Lightning and Sunbird applications? I heard a new version was just released, but I can't find much information on it. If you know anything at all, please share! 

A:
Excellent question! If you've been an avid Lightning and Sunbird user from the very beginning, I'm sure you've been wondering what's been going on with it. The first version (0.3) was released quite a long time ago, but Mozilla always talked about a new one coming out. And after getting a lot of our hopes up, it seemed like the project would never get finished. That is, until now! I'm happy to tell you all that Lightning and Sunbird, version 0.5, has officially been released! And let me tell you now, you won't be disappointed. Mozilla has made a lot of changes to these two applications and I really think you're going to love them. Now, before I get into a discussion on those changes, I want to make sure we're all on the same page. If you're not sure what either Lightning or Sunbird is, here's a brief description of them. They both kind of go along with the Thunderbird e-mail program, but they have their own features as well. Lightning allows you to manage your schedule right within Thunderbird and Sunbird gives you great calendar features outside of Thunderbird. So, if you like to send and receive meeting invitations in your e-mail, you may want to check out what the new Lightning version has to offer. On the other hand, if you'd like to have a calendar of your own outside of your e-mail, Sunbird may be the one for you. Or if you like to do all of those things, check them both out! Now, let's move on to all the new features.First of all, Mozilla has done a lot of work with the interface for both applications, but especially with Sunbird. It's much more polished now and it just looks a lot better. Even more, they have improved the way the event invitations are sent and received in Lightning. There is now an automatic migration of data in Sunbird and the working hours feature is back again. Also, if you ever need to print something in either program, it's going to be a lot easier from now on and the integration method of Lightning into Thunderbird has improved a great deal as well. As for Sunbird, there is now some Google Calendar support. It won't support every Google Calendar feature, but it will do almost everything. The biggest thing it can't do is sync recurring events, but if you don't use that feature anyway, you'll be all set! Now, with every new feature comes some drawbacks, but trust me, they're minor. The biggest thing is that Sunbird can use up quite a lot of your memory. Most calendar programs do, but Sunbird can use anywhere between 60 and 140 MB of your memory at any given time. That may be a little excessive for a calendar feature, but you have to do what you have to do! Other than that, there aren't too many problems with the new version of either application. Once you download them, you can experiment with the settings and configure everything so it's just right for you. If you're interested in getting Lightning 0.5, you can download it here. If you want Sunbird 0.5, just click here to get it as well. They're both just a quick download away and then you can start in on the fun. That's all you have to do. I hope you enjoy it!
Window States - Video TipWe all have several programs on our computers, don't we? And chances are, we use at least half of those on a daily basis. So, have you ever had a program that only opens in its "normal" state? You know, it doesn't open up to its full capacity. Well, how would you like to change that so it opens up in its maximized state? Yeah, I thought you might like that. To understand more about what I'm talking about and to get started with this tip, just click on the link below. It's all ready for you there! http://imgsrv.worldstart.com/videotips/index.htm
Wireless ReceiverDo you use a wireless keyboard or mouse? I know some of you do, because you've ordered them from us before! If you do, I'm sure you know that they come with a receiver. Right? Right! Well, if you're not sure what I'm talking about, allow me to explain it a little more. Basically, the wireless receiver is the component that is used to connect your computer with the keyboard and mouse. I mean, it's a good thing it's there. Something has to do it or your keyboard and mouse would not work!The receiver works through signals. It picks up the wireless signals from your keyboard or mouse, which then gives it the capability to communicate with your computer system. Some keyboard and mice sets come with two receivers (one for the keyboard and one for the mouse), but most will only have one. Now, when you're trying to find a spot to sit your receiver, there are a couple things you'll want to keep in mind. And here they are.For one, you'll want to take note of the distance away from any interferences, such as your monitor, computer case, fans, fluorescent lights, etc. To accomplish that, it's best to keep the receiver at least eight inches away from any of those items. The next thing you'll want to keep in mind is the distance away from the actual keyboard and mouse. The receiver should be set up at least eight inches (or up to six feet) away from those as well. If you follow all these guidelines, you will have the best wireless setup in town (or at least in your own house!)

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