Sunday, January 13, 2008

Computer Tips [ Fast Hot-Key Action + IP Address Upgrade + Sticky Tips + Click for More - or Less ;-) ] 01/14/08

Computer Tipswww.worldstart.com No, this isn't Steve. You can tell because Steve never wears a suit :-)

Quick Tips

PDF XChange Viewer

Do you do a lot of work with PDF files? If so, you know how important it is to have a program that will allow you to get the most out of your documents. There's no use wasting your time with a program that won't give you what you need. Now, I know several of you probably use Adobe's Acrobat Reader and there may even be some of you who use Foxit Reader, but I've got one more to add to the mix today and I guarantee you'll want to check it out. Let's see what we've got, shall we?!

Another PDF program that has been gaining a lot of popularity lately is called the PDF XChange Viewer. It's basically just another program you can use to view your PDF files, but it brings a little more to the table than just that. For starters, along with viewing your files, the PDF XChange Viewer allows you to annotate them as well. Yep, you can add text, sticky notes and several other types of annotations right to your files. For example, let's say you're editing a document and instead of making all the changes as you go, you can just add in little notes for yourself and fix them later. It saves you time and it's a fun way to edit your work!

And that's not all the PDF XChange Viewer has to offer! It also comes with a loupe tool that allows you to zoom in on certain parts of your document, which can be very helpful if you need to focus in on one particular section. It also comes with options to extract your text and images and it allows you to export your documents into image formats. The PDF XChange Viewer also has a tabbed interface, which gives it a more modern feel. Lastly, it offers a set of features that are not commonly found in PDF programs. So, if you'd like to give the PDF XChange Viewer a try for yourself, you can download it right here. Just click on the Download button and you'll be all set. Your PDF files will never be the same again!

~ Erin

Don't stop now! Keep reading to learn all about how you can start using hotkeys with your Quick Launch Toolbar items in Windows Vista, find out how you can easily get more or less in MS Excel and learn all about the brand new IP address standard coming out soon. Also, find out how you can get sticky with it from today's video tip and of course, don't miss out on Amanda's Cool Site of the Day!

Announcements

Don't Be The Only One Left Out!!!

"If You Only Buy One Program This Year - Grab This One!!"

This was HUGE last week! Thank YOU again to the thousand+ who ordered! I know you're gonna love it! Didn't get your order in? Don't worry, you've got another shot at this amazing program! We've been so impressed by the excellent speed gains - not to mention system tweaks and hard drive space this has saved - that we're going to try to keep it available as long as possible! Give this one a try - you'll be glad you did! We've just about bought out all the inventory at iolo and are starting to run low so don't wait too long to order - once they're gone, they're gone for good!

Make Windows Run Up To 300% FASTER!! 

  • Find And Fix Security Holes - Automatically!
  • Startup Windows Faster
  • High-speed Disk Defrag And Optimization
  • Recover, Defragment, & Optimize System Memory
  • Tweak Hundreds Of "Secret" Windows Settings
  • Recover Deleted Files
  • Start PCs That Won't Start Anymore
  • Fix Hard Drive Problems
  • Anti-Spyware Protection

WOW!! I'm just loving System Mechanic 7! I've been running it for a couple of weeks now and it's by far, the very best program I think I've ever seen for getting the most out of Windows! This thing is just gonna blow you away! It did me - and I've seen a LOT of software! This thing is nothing short of amazing! Read on - and get ready to be really - and I mean REALLY - impressed!

First, I'm seriously blown away at how easy this software makes it to really get your computer crankin'! I mean, I don't think there's anything on your computer this can't tweak and optimize!

To test, I installed it on my personal machine and it did a quick scan, and it came up with a warning about a few security problems and gave me some really helpful speed improvement suggestions. With just a couple mouse clicks, I'm now enjoying a MUCH faster -and more secure - computer! And I thought I was as tweaked out as I could be! Not even close - this was incredible - and automatic!

What can it do for you? Let's talk speed - this can make your computer act like it did when you first brought it home - just flying through programs and impressing the livin' daylights out of ya! Heck, your computer might even be faster than when you first got it home!! This has a whopping 19 different ways to crank up the speed on your machine! In fact, many systems see an absolutely incredible 300% improvement after just some automatic adjusting by this program! WOW!!

Want to surf the internet at up to 300% faster? This can help! Windows isn't necessarily optimized for the fastest connection out of the box, but this program can grab your settings and squeeze out the speed - you'll surf the internet like crazy! Who wouldn't want to surf up to 300% faster?!!? Heck, it even has a speed tool to measure how faster you connection speed is! Just fantastic!

Want more? - Sure ya do! Another thing this does that I'm in absolute love with is it lets you customize over 100 "secret" Windows settings! Stuff that you always wish Windows would let you adjust but there isn't really any direct way to do it. This makes it point-and-click easy!! You can: Optimize the way Windows' Start Menu behaves, speed up networking performance, log in automatically, edit your computer registration data, change multimedia behavior, improve pagefile security, customize explorer's context menus, edit advanced administration options, and much more!!

Oh, and just wait till you point your mouse at the Automatic System Maintenance section! I just love this! This part of the program will watch in the background and wait till the system is idle. As soon as you're not using the computer, it will work in the background tuning your computer for absolute peak performance! Here's the really cool part - just touch your mouse, and it stops what it's doing and gives the system back to you! Really! If you've ever been slowed down by a stubborn anti-virus that insisted on scanning while you were working, you know just how cool this is! Oh, and it even lets you pick and choose what optimizations to run!

Another automatic feature I think is just brilliant is the "One-Click" option! It's just what it sounds like - just click the button and System Mechanic runs all of its system enhancement programs and cranks your system up to the next level! Just a button push away! It makes it easy for EVERYONE to have a smokin' system!

Of course, no utility suite would be complete without some killer security tools - and this has the best! This program will quickly scan your system and help you find all the holes - then just plug them with a mouse click! I was really surprised when it found not one, not two, but THREE major holes on my personal PC! I clicked the mouse and the world was safe again!

Oh, and that's not all! This also includes both a world-class Anti-Virus (one of the easiest, most comprehensive AVs I've ever used) and a really top-notch Firewall! Either one retails for more than we're selling the entire suite for! WOW!

PLUS - it destroys spyware, adware, malware and more. OK, put it this way - if it was made to attack your system, this is going to seek it out and destroy it like a battalion of ticked off Marines!

OK, all that's great, but what if your PC is really messed up - like it won't boot? This software can handle that too! Just pop in a recovery CD and System Mechanic will examine your system and get your computer running right again! If you've ever had that sick "why isn't my computer booting" feeling, you can appreciate how great this will be next time it happens!

One more thing and I'll try to stop! System Mechanic is just fanatical about grabbing up wasted space on your hard drive! This just blew me away when it found a whopping 1.5 GIG of wasted hard drive space! Geeze - I've had whole hard drives that were smaller than that! This made grabbing that space back a mouse click away! I tell ya - you just can't go wrong here!

OK - can ya tell I'm impressed? There's actually a LOT more this can do, but I don't want to write a book on it (OK, maybe I've already come close)! I'm currently running this software and couldn't be happier with it. My system is definitely faster than before it was installed and I just love the performance increase! If you only buy one software program this year - GRAB THIS!

Check out these customer testimonials:

"I bought the original System Mechanic and thought you would never improve on that, but finally you seem to have outdone your earlier work and made a truly remarkable upgrade."
- Jerry W., Ph.D.



"Fantastic product. Does not conflict with other software. Works extremely well. Saves me from having to maintain my PC. Many thanks."
- Rik B.

"System Mechanic saved me from having to purchase a whole new computer. Well worth the investment!"
- Arthur H.

"This product is one of the very few that I have found to actually improve performance rather than slow it down."
- Stephen J.

"Just keep up the good work. I have passed on your website to many friends and recommended them to buy your products."
- Kenny L.

"It took about 4 hours but it repaired my system and I cancelled my Geek Squad appointment. All I needed after your product did it's job was a dust clean out."
- Tennie K.
 
"System Mechanic has become my tech of choice to keep this novice's computer running smoothly. I really appreciate the program and the service when needed."
- Mark J.

"I was having trouble with my pc and calling my products tech center only frustrated me. I subscribe to PC world and remembered that they recommend products and sites. Went to their site and there was a link to your web site and product, so I downloaded the free trial version. After it FIXED my problem, I decided to purchase it so I could always rely on having it at hand! Thank you for a wonderful product! It really helped me today, found and fixed things I didn't even know were wrong, too! I'm going to recommend your system mechanic to all my friends!"
- Barbara H.


"This is a great service. I cannot wait to purchase more stuff from iolo!"
- Ashley B.

"Norton watch out!! - System Mechanic Professional is a great value! It offers a wide range of superb features that keep my PC running in top shape. The 3 PC licenses allow me to cover my home network PCs."
- Kenneth L.

Your price? Well, this is the current version and sells for $69.99 at my local Best Buy. Your price? Get this - just $18.97 and US shipping is FREE! AND - this is a 3 license pack too! WOW!!! Check it out:

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4052

PS - Seriously, after just using this for a couple of weeks now, I wouldn't be without it. If WorldStart wasn't carrying it, I'd happily pay the $70 for it somewhere else - it really is that good! PLEASE - take a look at this one, I've NEVER seen a better, more complete utility program! Blows everything else right out of the water!!

 

Computers 101

Q:
Last week, you told us how to add items to the Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows Vista. Since then, I saw something online that mentioned hotkeys for the Quick Launch area. Do you know anything about that? If so, please explain. Thanks for all your help!

A:
You're absolutely right! Last week (on Friday, January 11, 2008 to be exact), I gave you instructions on how to customize your very own Quick Launch Toolbar in Windows Vista. I guess a lot of you liked that tip, because various questions about it just poured in over the weekend. It seems as if many of you are still getting used to the new operating system and you really enjoyed learning how to use a feature in Vista that you previously used in XP. Well, I must say I'm very glad I was able to help. The Quick Launch Toolbar is one of my favorite features too and it's great that you all now know how to use it in Vista!

Now, as the person who asked today's question suggested, there is a little more to the Quick Launch Toolbar when you're using it on a Vista computer. I thought about including this with last week's tip, but I thought that would be too much at once, so I'm really glad this question was brought to my attention again! So, the answer to the question is yes, there are some hotkeys you can use along with the Quick Launch Toolbar in Vista. Without further ado, here's the full scoop!

Basically, Windows Vista allows you to use hotkeys for the first 10 items you put in your Quick Launch Toolbar. If you go over 10, that's fine, but just keep in mind that there will be no hotkeys for those items. Now, the hotkeys are assigned automatically, so as soon as you add an item to your Toolbar, it will be assigned a number. The numbers go from 1 to 9 and then a 0 (zero) for number 10. To use them, you add the number with the Windows key on your keyboard (that's the one with the little flag on it, usually located next to the Alt key).

Your Quick Launch items are assigned their numbers in order from the left to the right. So, for example, if the first item on your Quick Launch Toolbar is Internet Explorer, all you have to do to open it is hit Win + 1. If your second item is Microsoft Word, just hit Win + 2. If your tenth program is the Windows Media Player, hit Win + 0 and so on. That's all you have to do. Cool, huh?!

If you want your programs to be in a certain order for your hotkeys, you can move them around. You can just drag and drop them into the slot where you'd like them to sit. I have mine set up in the order of what I use most often. I have Internet Explorer in the first spot, my e-mail program in the second, the calculator in the third and so on. And with just a tap of a key here and a tap of a key there, using my Quick Launch Toolbar has never been easier. I'm sure you'll feel the same way after you get yours all set up. Give it a try today!

~ Erin

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

 

MS Office

More or Less

For my readers who are fairly new users of MS Excel, here's a quick, yet infinitely useful tip for changing the number of decimal places displayed in one of your cells!

You're looking for these two buttons located on the Formatting toolbar or in Excel 2007, they're on the Home ribbon, Number section:

(If you're using older versions of Excel and you don't see them, go to the View menu, Toolbars submenu and choose Formatting from the list).

The button on the left will add decimal places to numbers in highlighted cells.

The button on the right will reduce the number of decimal places in highlighted cells. (As decimal places are reduced, the value displayed in the cell is rounded. However, if you take a look in the formula bar, you'll see that Excel still has the exact value stored away safely in its memory).

More or less is just a click away!

~ April


More Cool Stuff


WS Auction Info:

Just a quick shout out to remind everyone to stop by the WS Auction site!

New items are added daily and the items are so fun and unique, you're bound to find that little something special you've been looking for!

Check it all out here:

http://auctions.worldstart.com/index.php


Great deals from our store....

GE Closeout Special!

WOW - we have just gotten in some of the greatest GE items we've seen in quite awhile! You've got to check them out:

Improve Your Drive Quality!

On your computer, not your car ;-)

We have many requests from customers asking how they should clean their CD/DVD and 3.5" drives! Unfortunately, up until now we did not have an item to take care of this task for you! When I saw this at one of our suppliers, I just knew I had to offer it to you all ;-)

This GE CD/DVD/3.5" Drive Cleaner improves quality by cleaning the optical laser lens in your CD/DVD drives and in 3.5" disk drive heads. These little drives gather dust and fibers just like everything else in your home and office and need cleaned too! If you notice trouble with your drives (skipping, not wanting to load, etc.) you're problem could be as minor as needing a little cleaning.

Easy to use - simply insert into the drive like a standard CD or floppy. You can even use this to clean DVD players, CD players, CD discmans, CD car stereos, and CD auto changers. An absolute must-have for every home and office with a computer, stereo or CD/DVD device!

Your cost is $10.97 and that includes FREE shipping in the US! You don't want to miss out on this one, check it out here:

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=3809


Light Up The Night!

Each GE item I look at, I think that it's my favorite ~ no different with the GE Indiglo Clock/Light!

I love the soft light this nightlight gives off ~ not harsh or blinding for those late night walks to the bathroom. And, this has a clock built right in so it's perfect for the bathroom, workshop, laundry room or any room you wish you had a clock but don't have the space!

It features the Indiglo technology featured in Timex brand wrist watches and uses a space-age lighting material that is cool to the touch, and there are no bulbs to replace! Better yet, it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week using just pennies worth of electricity per year!

Oh wait, another really great thing ~ it packs easily for trips away from home and helps make unfamiliar rooms safer to move around in at night with the soft glow night light ~ perfect for hotel rooms! Can you tell I really love this item? Your price? Just $12.97 and yes, FREE shipping in the US!

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=3616


Keep Your Desktop Neat and Organized!

Having a hard time retrieving your wires from behind your desk? Sick of crawling around on the floor to find them?

Well, have I got the solution for you ~ GE's Cable Neat Caddy mounts to your desktop to keep all your cables accessible and neatly organized all in one place!

Pretty convenient don't ya think? This caddy neatly organizes all of your device cables such as laptops, PDA's, MP3 players, Cell Phones, Digital Cameras, Video Cameras and more! Now, you can connect and unplug each cable easily without having to crawl under your desk to retrieve it!

Even better, the closeout price is only $12.97 and yes, shipping is FREE in the US! Terrific deal!

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=3518


Tip of the Day

An IP Address Upgrade

It's about time for an IP address upgrade, don't you think?! Well, before I go any further, if you're not sure, an IP address is a unique address that is assigned to a network device by the network. Every computer that connects to a network or the Internet is assigned an IP address. It basically allows that computer to communicate with the network or the Internet.

The current IP address standard, called IPv4, uses 32-bits, which looks something like this: 192.168.0.1. This IP address standard was created in 1981 when the Internet was just a baby. The early creators of the Internet did not believe it would become as large as it is today, especially since it was originally designed only for a few universities and the United States Government. Over time, many large corporations and even the U.S. Government have come to realize that there is a large need to switch over to a new IP standard.

The new version will be called IPv6 and it will use 128-bits. The IPv6 IP address looks something like this: 2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7334.

On August 2, 2005, the Federal Government of the United States issued a memorandum, stating that all Federal Government agencies will transition their network backbones to IPv6 by June 30, 2008. The IPv4 version only allows for four billion IP addresses, which greatly limits the number of devices that can be given a unique, globally routable location on the Internet.

The IPv4 standard has slowed the growth of the Internet worldwide and it constricts the amount of computers and other devices that can be connected to each other via the Internet. On the other hand, the IPv6 standard allows for an almost unlimited number of IP addresses. In all actuality, the IPv6 allows for over 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 different addresses. (And no, I'm not kidding!)

The movement from IPv4 to the new IPv6 will allow us users to have more technology in our lives, because we will now be able to assign more IP addresses to more devices. Soon, mobile phones, televisions and even toasters will be assigned IP addresses! Imagine this: you're leaving work and you would like a hot cup of coffee when you arrive home. With the IPv6, you would be able to go on your computer, connect to your private home network and tell your coffee machine to make a pot of coffee. Wow, huh?!

It's just something new to think about!

~ Jack William

If you enjoy our tips, tell your friends. That's what keeps this newsletter growing.
http://www.worldstart.com/referafriend.htm

 

Today's Feature

Get Sticky - Video Tip

Do you like to use keyboard shortcuts, but would also rather keep one hand on the mouse for other uses? If that's your ultimate typing dream, you're in luck! You can use a feature called "sticky keys." It allows you to eliminate the "multiple keys all at one time" rule in keyboard shortcuts. For instance, if you want to copy something and you have the sticky keys feature enabled, you can hit your Ctrl key, take your finger off the key, then hit your C key. You don't have to do it all in one motion anymore. To learn how to start using this, just click on the link! http://imgsrv.worldstart.com/videotips/index.htm

Or, if you would just like to read today's tip, you can do that as well, here:
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/735

For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter.

Amanda's Coolsite

Healthology

In my search for ways to be healthier, I ran across this Web site and because of the wealth of knowledge I discovered, I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you! Navigation is exceptionally straightforward as well. You basically want the Consumer Health Library.

Once Daily – Here you will find a daily interactive video. While I was there, the video was about Automated External Defibrillators and the impact they’ve had on the medical community. The video included questions for you to answer, a full transcript of the video and it even had the option of sending it to your friends and family.

Featured Videos – While I was browsing, there were two featured videos. One was on breast cancer and the other was on Type 2 Diabetes. Both answered important questions and were very informative.

Special Health Presentations – I found a video here too! It was about what conditions can lead to heart failure. I didn’t know that heart failure affects almost five million people in the U.S. And the idea of a global number is almost terrifying.

Health Headlines – Here you will find some of the topics that are in the headlines. I found five articles listed while I was visiting. The one that stuck with me the most was on Body Image. It is amazing how many people have a negative body image and I’m certainly not exempt! Here you can learn about ways to change how you think about your body image. There were also articles on Cirrhosis, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Health Awareness – This is something I’ve talked about quite a bit since the New Year and it’s all about finding ways to keep your resolution to be healthier.

Health Showcase – Here you will find a health site highlighted. While I was there, it was Heart Authority. Heart Authority is an educational Web site devoted to helping you learn all there is to know about your heart and keeping it healthy.

View All Health Topics – You’ll find this option at the top of the page. If you click it, it will take you to an alphabetical listing of all the health topics they have information for.

Search – You’ll also find this near the top of the page. Just type in what health topic you're looking for and click Go.

Here’s to living healthier this year and having the resources to learn how!

http://www.healthology.com/

~ Amanda

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

 

New Titles and Offers


Enter The WS Photo Contest!

Please note that due to technical problems we were unable to do photo contest voting for last month and have no winner. We will extend last month's contest into this month and have a winner next month. If you submitted a photo last month then you do not need to re-enter - we still have it and you are still in the contest :-)

We are looking for your best photo of a Winter Wonderland.

Snowy, icy, frosty, cold or anything that depicts winter where you are at!

http://www.worldstart.com/photo-contest/

Monthly Wallpaper

January Wallpaper

Here's January's wallpaper. It's all free, so enjoy!

Zion Overlook

This was taken along a winding, twisting road in Zion National Park last summer. There are incredible views like this everywhere you turn in Zion!

Snow and  Ice Along the Tahquamenon River

This was shot a couple years ago along the Tahquamenon River in Michigan's UP. This was near the falls and the trees get caked with both ice and snow. The huge ice formations were a bonus!

Snowy Stream

This was somewhere in Michigan's UP a few years ago. We were on our way to a waterfall and this scene was just begging to be photographed!

All can be found here:

http://www.worldstart.com/wallpaper/index.php

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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Copyright, Disclaimer, and Removal

ISSN: 1529-336X
Copyright 2005, WorldStart. All unauthorized reproduction strictly prohibited.

You are welcome to reproduce this newsletter (i.e. print it, store it) for your own personal use. You are also welcome to forward it, in its entirety, to friends and family.

If you would like to reproduce this publication, or any part of it, in any other publication, be it web based or otherwise, you must contact us for permission. Any unauthorized re-distribution will be considered a copyright infringement and grounds for a lawsuit.

Finally, you agree to try any advice contained or suggested in this newsletter at your own risk.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation (duh!)


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