Issue 1/Vol 3

Newsletter # 1 Volume 3

*****************Issue 1, Volume 3 - Jan/Feb '01****************

Hello Everybody!

In my e-mail, I erroneously called this Issue 6, Vol 2. It's actually Issue 1, Volume 3! Can you believe it, this is our 3rd year of this newsletter!

Happy New Year, I hope this finds you all in good health and good spirits.
Winter looks like it finally has us in it's hold, we just need some
white stuff to complete the picture!

I hope this newsletter helps you stay on top of some of the vast new
information that is out there, as well as get you through some of those
pesky tasks. I will try to provide tips for all of us, since we all have
unique operating systems, preferences and levels of experience.

Please keep the feedback coming, I have received some great e-mails from a
variety of people, as well as my Clark students. Don't forget, this is your
newsletter, so if you would like to see some tips on specific subjects let
me
know by sending me an e-mail at tips@wazdisdo.com - Scott
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AOL: New Year, Old Ties

Keyword: Family History takes you directly to the
Genealogy page of the Parenting channel. Here you can
type your name for a quick Ancestry.com search for your
background. There's also a collection of genealogy
forums and message boards organized by last name, where
you might happen upon a relative, or someone who knows
your relatives. The Learning Center link will help you
become an amateur genealogist, able to dig through the
various Genealogy Databases that AOL supports or links
to. I know there is a few of you out there who will love this!

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AOL: Who Has Mail

AOL permits up to six screen names per account --
enough room for most families to have a screen name for
each member. Some family members might want to use more
than one screen name, setting aside separate names for
business use or for staying anonymous in newsgroups.

To see if there is any mail waiting for the screen
names without signing on to each of them:

1. Sign on with any of the screen names.

2. Click the menu bar's Sign Off.

The Switch Screen Names dialog box lists all of the
names, their parental control settings, and the number
of e-mail items that are waiting.
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Hot Shareware: Hot CPU Tester
What do you do when you're convinced that something's gone haywire in
your system, but you don't know what? Try this free system stability
tool: It tests the CPU and virtually all parts of the motherboard for
errors. An advanced user who wants to run a CPU at a higher frequency
than it was designed for can also use this utility to determine
whether the system is stable. The program features a crash and error
detector, assembly-level coding for the main procedures, and support
for multiple threads with high priority level. This new version has
been fully rewritten to include Windows NT/2000 support,
multiple-processor system support, and modules for MMX and SSE
instruction sets.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description.asp?fid=7592
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Internet Explorer: SURF AD-FREE

Banner ads pay the bills on the Web, but the animated, jumping beasts
can get out of hand. If you'd like to surf in silence, consider
downloading an ad blocker that will work with Internet Explorer 5.

The AdSubtract SE tool, free for personal use, can stop ads from
appearing as you browse and may also speed surfing since banners
consume valuable bandwidth--especially on slow modem connections. You
can find the utility at

http://www.adsubtract.com/pro/features.html
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Internet Explorer: WEB-BASED WALLPAPER

See a Web image you really like? You can save it as your desktop
wallpaper. Just right-click the image and choose Set As Wallpaper.

When you get tired of the image, right-click the desktop and choose
Properties. With the Background tab selected, choose the wallpaper you
want from the list that appears. Then click OK.

If you want your Web-based wallpaper back again, choose Internet
Explorer Wallpaper from the list. Note that the Internet Explorer
Wallpaper selection won't appear until you set a Web graphic as your
wallpaper. Windows stores just one image under this selection, so if
you choose a new wallpaper image from the Web, Windows deletes the
previous one.
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Internet Explorer: MOVE AND RESIZE TOOLBARS

If you don't like the look of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5's
toolbars, you can easily change them.

You can hide toolbars by selecting View, Toolbars, and deselecting the
ones you don't want. (Active toolbars appear with a check next to
their names). You can also move a toolbar so it shares the same line
as another toolbar. Click the vertical bar on the left of a toolbar
until you see a double-sided arrow icon. Move the toolbar to the
position you want, then release the mouse.
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Outlook Express: Column Sorting

As with most Windows programs and lists in columns, you
can sort Outlook Express messages by clicking on the
titles of the columns. Click the Subject column and the
messages will sort alphabetically by subject, in
ascending order. Click that column title again and it
will sort in descending order.
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Windows 95/98/ME: WINDOWS 98 SE SHUTDOWN PROBLEMS

Many Windows 98 users report problems with their computers hanging
during the Shut Down routine. As problems go, this one isn't so major.
It's usually safe to turn off your computer after 30 seconds or so, as
long as the Windows Is Shutting Down screen is visible. Still, it is
annoying. If you're having this problem and you're running Windows 98
Second Edition, you could be experiencing trouble with a bug in the
program. Microsoft has a fix available online, and this is always the
first place to look. Find information about downloading and running
the bug fix at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows98/downloads/contents/WURecommended/S_WUFeat
ured/Win98SE/Default.asp
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Windows 95/98/ME: REMOVING ITEMS FROM THE QUICKLAUNCH TOOLBAR

Adding icons to your QuickLaunch Toolbar is a great way to ensure that
you'll always have your most-used programs available, no matter how
cluttered the desktop. But remember that you can also easily remove
icons from the Toolbar. Just click and hold on the icon, and then drag
it to the Recycle Bin, Or, right-click (there it is again) on the icon
and click on Delete.
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Cool Website of the Month: MENUS.COM

http://www.menus.com

There's nothing like walking by a row of trendy bistros and looking
over their menus. Add the convenience of the Internet and you have
Menus.com. With its handy database, you can search by zip code, city,
type of restaurant, or restaurant name to peruse the eats you crave. A
brief description of the restaurant will whet your appetite, while a
quick view of the menu will send you on your way. You can read the
reviews and rate the restaurants yourself. The power search lets you
look for restaurants that deliver, accept American Express, or promote
a kid-friendly environment. Gourmet or gourmand, it's a dream come
true.
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Cool Website of the Month: THE TICKET ASSASSIN

http://www.ticketassassin.com/

Not that I would need this, but.....

You're on your way home from a late night at the office when your
rearview mirror is suddenly filled with the red and blue flashing
grill lights of the police cruiser tailing you. Irritated, you curse
Johnny Law and find a safe place to pull over. What do you do next?
Ticket Assassin has many of the answers you'll need to survive this
traffic stop. Though geared specifically for California, many of the
tips are applicable in any state. They range from common sense
information, like don't insult the trooper, to involved procedures,
like changing your trial's venue. Download appropriate forms, learn
how to improve your chances in court, and make sure you know your
rights under the law.

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Web Design tip of the month: Web Safe Colors

Don't underestimate the importance of Color on the Web. A "web-safe" color
palette consists of 216 colors (or 217, it depends on who you ask :))
Utilizing the 6 x 6 color cube method is pretty easy, once you memorize the
hex codes. Color Safe hex codes are always a combination of :
33, 66, 99, CC, FF 00. These are NOT flexible! If your color code
has something other than these codes, it simply is not web safe.
A great site for checking colors vs. code is
http://www.godigitalstudios.com/www/color/

Once enlightened to the importance Web Safe color, you will be able to spot
a non-safe page in a flash!

We will talk later about WHY we need web-safe colors. Also next month:
What is a bitmap image and what is a vector image?
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A copy of this newsletter will remain on my website, so if you are looking
for a previous issue, simply go to http://www.wazdisdo.com/index.html and
click on Newsletter!
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Well folks, that's all for now, keep those questions coming, and hope to see
ya soon!

If you have a friend that would like this newsletter, send me his/her e-mail
address, and I will add them on to our newsletter.

Disclaimer: Some of these tips were generated using tips and information
from Tipworld, www.topica.com.

Cya!

Scott