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Mail Transfer Agent You may have heard of this term before, but what really is a Mail Transfer Agent? Well, let's find out! Also known as an MTA, a Mail Transfer Agent is basically what handles your e-mails after you hit the Send button and release them to the cyber world. It is a computer program (or a software agent) that helps transport e-mails from one computer to another (from yours to your friend's and so on). An MTA works along with an MSA (mail submission agent) and an MUA (mail user agent, which is you), but it usually just works behind the scenes to sort out all of the e-mails that come through each day. Once the e-mails are sorted, they are given a header and then sent off to an MDA, which is a mail delivery agent. The MDA then makes sure the e-mails are delivered to the correct Inboxes and are made available for you to read. That's quite a nifty process, don't you think? And now you know all about it! ~ Erin You can't stop now! There's so much more to read about. Keep going to learn all about the sound distortions that may be coming out of your computer speakers and what you can do about them, find out how you can set up MS Outlook just the way you want it and learn a little more about some of the new features in AIM 6.5. Also, be sure to check out this week's awesome download thanks to Gary and as always, don't miss out on Amanda's Cool Site of the Day. Enjoy!
Attention Bluetooth® Cell Phone Users!! Go Wireless! If You Have A Bluetooth® Enabled Cell Phone, This Is A MUST-HAVE For YOU!  Kyocera Portable Speaker w/Headset These type of headsets normally retail anywhere from $50 to $200! WOW! I can't believe the INCREDIBLE deal that we got on these awesome Kyocera Bluetooth Speaker w/Headsets! If your cell phone is Bluetooth compatible, you have to check these out! Not only do you get an AWESOME Bluetooth Headset, you get a fantastic Portable Wireless Speaker as well!!! I absolutely LOVE this headset!!! I admit, this is my first go-round with a Bluetooth Headset - yes, I've been resistant to change! I've got to tell you all though, I feel like a fool! This has got to be some of the coolest technology available. Now that I've tried it out for myself, there's no going back! I just got the sample in today and within minutes had it "paired" to my cell phone and working just GREAT! Gary (our tech guy) and I were calling each other back and forth and testing all the different features. Gary loves it too! He has his order in for one (I'm not giving up my sample) and so does just about everyone else here in the office - it's really that great! The sound quality and reception are FANTASTIC!!! What's the big deal you ask? Well, you know how it is - you're driving around and really need to make a call or one comes in and you just have to take it. You fumble around to find your phone (at least I always do) so of course you get distracted from the road - yikes! In some states, you are not allowed to hold a cell phone while driving, and the use of some type of headset is mandatory. Even if it is still legal to hold a cell phone and drive, obviously it's safer to avoid this whenever possible! Well, for these reasons alone, I should have decided to go wireless a long time ago :-) Great news! You no longer have to worry about it either! Wireless is the way to go these days! Now you can chat on the phone while you drive, type, cook, do laundry, etc. Check this out: This Kyocera Bluetooth Speaker with Headset is exactly what its name implies! It's a combination portable speaker that is also a dock for the Bluetooth headset. Of course, you can use the Bluetooth headset by itself, but when it's slotted into the portable speaker, you immediately transform your cell phone into a speakerphone. Pretty cool, huh? This speakerphone is wayyy better than the one that's on my phone! Here's another great feature, the speaker comes with two different mounts so you can clip it to your visor in the car or attach it to your dashboard with an adhesive pad. Very compact and lightweight so it's really easy to transport as well! When fully charged you get up to 4 hours headset talk time and up to 6 hours speaker with headset and talk time - I don't even think my teenage daughter could talk that much! This Kyocera Bluetooth Speaker w/Headset also features DSP processing for echo and noise cancellation and enhanced voice quality, Bluetooth spec. 1.2, and the ability to transfer calls from headset to speaker without interference! Hey, don't take our word on it, check out this really great review on CNet.com: http://reviews.cnet.com/headsets/kyocera-wireless-portable-speaker Oh, and did you notice the price on Amazon? They're getting close to 50 bucks for these (including shipping)! You can get them here at WS for 30% less! You gotta check this out! Like I said above, we got a really great deal on these! We have them for just $32.97 and US Shipping is FREE! Check out all the additional specs and features here: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4067 PS - Once again, this is a VERY limited quantity item! When they are gone, they're gone for good so don't wait to order! You'll be glad you got in on this deal when you could! WOW! Unbelievable!! MP3 Player Headphones!! No Wires Required!!! Go Hands Free! Well, here's another item that I am just ga-ga over! Why am I so excited? Because I love MP3 players! I consider them to be one of the greatest devices for music lovers. You can listen to music as you exercise, walk the dog, type on the computer, shop, or even relax. What's great is that you can put all your favorite music on it, instead of having to change CD after CD on some bulky portable CD player. What's really cool about this MP3 Player is that it's built right into a set of headphones - now that is really cool!!! Oh, and here's something else, your music is all stored on a removable SD card! Why's that cool? Well, you can easily share these MP3 Player Headphones with your spouse, kids, etc. and never have to worry about whether or not you've got the tunes you like or if you're stuck listening to somebody else's play list. Designate an SD card for each user and simply pop-in yours when you're ready to jam! Nice, huh? The sounds quality is EXCELLENT and I absolutely love the fact that you don't have to carry your MP3 player around in your pocket or have it sitting out somewhere next to you with the earbud cords hanging out all over the place. I can't tell you how many times I've got up to move around and my MP3 player went flying threw space because I wasn't paying attention. And, these are the really cool behind the ear style headphones (they don't smash you hair all down) and they even fold down so you can easily store them in a gym bag, purse, briefcase, desk drawer, etc. They're really comfortable too - the ear covers have those nice foam pads on them so they're not hard or scratchy - nice and comfy! The best part is that it's USB compatible so it's really easy to get your songs off your computer. Just connect the MP3 to your PC with the little USB cable that comes with it. (You also get a users manual to help guide you through the process, but you probably won't need it - it's just that easy). Windows Media Player will detect the SD/MMC Card in the MP3 Player Headphones right away and then you simply drag and drop the songs you want right onto the "drive"! I seriously don't think it took me more than 5 minutes to get my music on mine (probably more like 3 minutes :-). These MP3 Player Headphones can accommodate up to 4GB, now that's a pretty good chunk of memory! For instance, if you use a 1 GB SD Card, it can hold approximately 240 songs (that's comparable to more than 16 CDs). As long as you have songs in MP3 or WMA format, you can store 'em on here. Now here's the deal - Need just the MP3 Player Headphones (you already have an SD Card) - your cost is just $24.97 and that includes FREE shipping in the US! Check it out here: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4077 BEST DEAL!! http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4078 PS - This is a really great MP3 Player and the prices will not get any better! Be sure to get to the site and get yours ordered right away! It's a MUST-HAVE for all you music lovers!!
Q: A: First up, let's talk about that constant buzzing sound I mentioned earlier. If you're hearing a buzz, it's likely that your computer speakers are not plugged in all the way. External speakers hook into the back of your computer, so just check to make sure the connectors are all plugged in tightly. That should do the trick! Now, if your speakers are making some sort of crackling noise, especially when you adjust the volume, you may need to clean the contact on your volume knob. Most computer stores carry contact cleaner just for that purpose. Once you have some, unplug your speakers from your computer and then spray the knob with the cleaner. You can then just wipe around the knob with a soft cloth. That should clean out any grime that may be sitting there and it should resolve the crackling noise. Sound distortions can also be caused by a Y-splitter, if you use one. If you're using a Y-splitter to split the audio between your speakers and another device, you may want to do away with that and just make one connection to your speakers. For example, if you're using a Y-splitter between your computer speakers and a microphone headset, disconnect the headset, but leave your speakers as they are. That should help! Now, if your speakers are internal, you can do some additional troubleshooting along with what we've already discussed. To do so, go to Start, Control Panel and click on the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices link. From there, click on Sounds and Audio Devices and then hit the Hardware tab. From there, find your speaker set in the list and click on the Troubleshoot button. Choose the option of "The sound is distorted or scratchy" and click Next. That should get you going in the right direction! One last note: If you think your sound problems are coming from your computer itself, you can rule that out by plugging your speakers into something else, such as a CD player. If you get the same kinds of sounds, you'll know there's a real problem with your speaker connection or the speakers themselves. On the other hand, if the speakers work properly, the problem probably lies within your computer and you'll want to do some more troubleshooting for that. I hope these suggestions help you to get perfect sound once again! ~ Erin Have a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link below:
Outlook Startup Options Do you use MS Outlook primarily for something other than e-mail? Is your routine to boot up your computer, open up Outlook and immediately switch from your Inbox to the Calendar or maybe the Tasks section? Wouldn't it be nice to bypass the Inbox and have Outlook start up in the place you use the most? Yeah, me too! So, after a reader's question came in, I did some research and it seems as if we can take control of Outlook and choose which function appears at the startup. Interested in the how-to? Good. Then let's get started! With Outlook running, you'll need to go to the Tools menu, Options choice. When the Options window opens, you're looking for the Other tab, General section, Advanced Options button.
When you get to the Advanced Options window, at the very top (in the General Settings section), you'll see a field labeled as "Startup in this folder." In older versions of Outlook, you'll find a down arrow to the right of the field, which will open a list of choices.
Use the drop down list to choose which Outlook function you want the program to open up to and then click OK. In Outlook 2007, you'll find a Browse button. Go ahead and click it. A dialogue window will then open, called "Select Folder."
Choose your preferred starting location and click OK. Next, click OK again to exit the Advanced Options window. In any program, you'll need to click OK again in the Options window. Now, just to test it out, close Outlook and restart it again. Voila! Outlook should open to the spot you have chosen. No more wasting time waiting for something else to load, when you didn't even want to go there in the first place! ~ April
Don't Be The Only One Left Out!!! "If You Only Buy One Program This Year - Grab This One!!" Make Windows Run Up To 300% FASTER!!
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 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! 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!! Need To Transfer Files From One Computer To Another? Don't Worry! It's Easier Than You Think!! USB 2.0 DirectLink PC to PC Cable - DRIVERLESS! WOW - did we just score an AMAZING deal on these for you all! We've featured USB direct link cables before, but these are the next generation! Most USB direct link cables require you to install software on each computer you want to transfer between - NOT THESE! This cord has the drivers built right in! Just plug it in and a window pops up on your computer. Double-click the little program in the window and start transferring! No installation of any kind required!! Why would you want it? Well, we've all been there - You get a new computer and you have a ton of files on your old computer you need to transfer over. Or you have a laptop with a bunch of files you want to transfer to a desktop computer (or vice versa). Perhaps you just have some large files you want to move to a coworker's or friend's computer. Whatever the case, transferring files from computer to computer is nothing but a hassle - until now. Well, this awesome USB Link Cable for you today that makes swapping files between computers absolutely painless! Just plug one end of the USB cord into each computer and a little window opens up. Click the icon in that window and an explorer-like program runs. From there, it's just a matter of dragging and dropping files from one computer to the other! It couldn't be any easier! Again, we're talking plug it in, and a pair of double-clicks! I had mine up and running in about 30 seconds! Oh, and although it works just fine with USB 1.x, it's blazing fast with USB 2.0 ports! It transferred 1 GIG worth of photos about a minute! It's about the fastest way I've come across to transfer files! I don't know about you, but I've spent more than a few long evenings making CDs full of data to transfer from one computer to another - or, more recently, copying a bunch of files to an external HD to do the same job. The pain and hassle of the old way is gone - this little cord makes it so quick and easy! My advice? If you're ever, in your lifetime, going to get another computer or have reason to transfer files from a desktop to a laptop, then this is an absolute must-have. Once you plug it in and try it, you'll wonder how you got along without it. It's one of the most useful devices I think we've ever offered. Your cost? Get this, just $18.97 and US shipping is FREE! I've spent more in CDs to transfer files than that! This is a must-have for everyone with a computer. We've all been there - needing to transfer large files or large numbers of files - and this is the smartest solution I've ever seen. http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=2606
More AIM 6.5 Features Everyday, more and more users are using the instant messaging program of AIM to keep in touch with their friends, colleagues and co-workers. And with the latest version of AIM (6.5), there are many more features that are not only easily accessible, but a whole lot more useful. With just a short overview of some of these features, using AIM 6.5 will be a breeze for all of you. Let's check it out! One of the first features I noticed was the new status bar that appears at the top of the messenger. Even when your away message is not up, you can create a status message by entering text into the empty text box and pressing Enter. That message will then appear under your screenname for all of your friends to see. If you want your status to be accompanied by an away message as well, just click on the yellow sticky note located below the status bar. The eye located next to the sticky note can make you either a visible or invisible user (you appear invisible to all other users if you click the eye as "closed").
To enter in a different away message, just click on the bar that says Available and choose from the menu of options, including: Available, New Away Message, Away Messages, Mobile, Invisible and Edit Away Messages. Through this short menu, you can create and edit past away messages, hide from other users or even set up your messenger on a mobile setting and transfer all of your messages directly to your cell phone. Cool, huh?!
Similar options from the previous version of AIM are also present when instant messaging with other users. For example, if you click on a screenname and open a conversation box, the following options are available at the bottom of the box: Txt Msg, Talk, Video, Pictures and Send Files. The first new option of text messaging allows you to send a message to the individual’s cell phone if you have their phone number. By clicking on that tab, a new window appears, asking for the user’s cell phone number and your respective message. Otherwise, you can click on IM in the bottom left hand corner if you wish to switch back to an IM conversation box.
The other tabs haven't changed for the new AIM version. With them, you can enable voice conversations, share videos, start photo sharing sessions and send any sort of file via instant messaging. Additionally, if you wish to obtain the buddy info for a particular user, there is a blue “i” (which stands for Buddy Info) located in the bottom right hand corner of an IM conversation box. By clicking on that button, the user’s information will pop up on your computer screen for you to read.
With these basic features, you are well on your way to using and benefiting from the latest version of AIM. Be sure to stay tuned for even more AIM 6.5 features coming very soon. Enjoy! ~ Sheida If you enjoy our tips, tell your friends. That's what keeps this newsletter growing.
Paint.NET From time to time, I have found myself needing a program for making graphics and pictures. I used to try and use the Paint program that comes with Windows, but I almost always find it to be lacking in features. Because of that, I have been looking for a paint program that has a lot more options and features. After looking for awhile, I came across a free program called Paint.NET. And let me tell you, this program has everything I could ever want! It's easy to use, it's easy to install and did I mention it's free? Let's check it out! First, just take a look for yourself. This is what the Microsoft Paint program looks like:
Kind of boring, huh?! Well, this is what Paint.NET looks like:
That's much better! Also, Paint.NET has support for layers, unlimited undos, special effects and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials and plug-ins as well. You just can't beat it! You can download Paint.NET for yourself right here. Enjoy! ~ Gary For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter.
I get a ton of e-mails asking for Web sites with desktop wallpaper that features the current month’s calendar. Well, I’ve gone one step further and I’ve found a site that offers a free download of a desktop calendar that is very customizable! I have to tell you, I’m already in love with it! Not only can you have a moveable calendar on your desktop, but you can set up to-do lists and keep track of important upcoming events. To download it, go to Downloads and select Rainlendar from the drop down menu. Or, you can just click into the section and download it from there. It is available for Windows (2000 and higher) and Linux. They even provide installation instructions. You may have noticed on the drop down menu for Downloads that there was a listing for Skins. With those, you can customize your calendar even more by making it look the way you like it. I’m just using the default option, because I think it’s pretty sleek, but there are 26 pages of skins to go through, so if you decide to go that route, you have plenty to choose from. If you run into a snag, try checking out the F.A.Q. section. There were a lot of really great questions answered there, but if you don’t find what you're looking for, you can also hit the forum and try asking there. Basically, I installed the Rainlendar, double clicked its icon to start it and the calendar instantly appeared on my screen. Just drag the calendar where you want to put it on your desktop with your mouse. To create a new event, just right click the calendar and choose New Event. That will open the event window where you can title your events, set the date and time and even set up an alarm so that you don’t forget to do something! To make an entry on the To-Do list, right click the calendar and select New Task. Then just fill out the title. Also, in the large text list, you can put a listing or description of what all needs to be done. You can then mouse over that event on the To-Do list and it will bring up the details for you. I hope you all love this Web site as much as I already do! http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php ~ Amanda Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
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/
January Wallpaper Here's January's wallpaper. It's all free, so enjoy!
All can be found here: http://www.worldstart.com/wallpaper/index.php Enjoy!
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Computer Tips [Sound Distortions + Outlook Startup + AIM 6.5] 1/17/08
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!
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