|
| MalekTips: 06-02-2005
Welcome to the latest issue of the MalekTips newsletter, providing computer and technology help and tips. We appreciate your subscription!
We have 30 new tips found below in the latest issue of MalekTips, including:
* Does Adobe Reader 7 take too long to start whenever you view PDF documents? Download a freeware program that claims to speed up this software by disabling unused plug-ins. Then, have a little fun when viewing PDF documents in full-screen mode by adding animation effects when switching pages.
* Lost? Given a location to a great Chinese restaurant but don't know exactly how to get there? Display maps to virtually anywhere in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. Then view satellite aerial photos of your mapped locations without downloading external software. And if you like baseball, we've got a link to satellite aerial photos of all your favorite stadiums.
* Plus, this newsletter contains information on a digital music service that lets you listen to Internet radio stations and 25 on-demand songs per month - for free; Windows XP hints such as creating a taskbar to instantly access your CDs, DVDs, and removable hard drives and USB devices; Microsoft Word 2003 tips including how to speed up complex document loads and prints; and Mozilla Firefox tips such as how to start your browsing session with not just one but multiple home pages.
Remember - if you have a computer question, be sure to visit the MalekTips forums at http://www.malektips.com/forums
Andrew Malek MalekTips.Com
* Tell a Friend! *
Don't keep all these great tips to yourself - be sure to tell a friend about what's available, at no cost, on MalekTips.Com, and please pass this newsletter along! Let them know they can sign up to receive notifications regarding new tips added to the site.
Point them to the following web address to sign up and read past newsletters online: http://malektips.com/maillist
* Recent MalekTips Front Page Stories *
5-31-2005: MalekTips is the Cool Site of the Day!
We're proud that MalekTips has just been selected the Cool Site of the Day for May 31, 2005! Thanks to everyone for supporting MalekTips in what has really started out to be an award-winning year!
To all the new visitors at MalekTips - welcome! We hope you enjoy the tips and information MalekTips has to offer. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for free notifications on when new tips are added!
Link (External Site): http://www.coolsiteoftheday.com/cgi-bin/stillcool.
pl?month=05&year=2005
5-31-2005: Mark Felt Confirmed as "Deep Throat"
Though not necessarily a computer-related news topic, history buffs might be interested to know that the Washington Post has confirmed the identity of "Deep Throat" as Mark Felt. In the 1970's, during the time of Watergate, he was the FBI 2nd in command. Mark Felt was interviewed for Vanity Fair magazine. For more information, check out news sources such as CNN, Fox News, and Yahoo! News.
Don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to Nixon or Watergate? Read "All the President's Men", or check out the movie.
Link (External Site): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic
le/2005/05/31/AR2005053100655.html
Link (External Site): http://www.vanityfair.com/commentary/content/artic
les/050530roco02
Link (External Site): http://www.cnn.com/
Link (External Site): http://www.foxnews.com/
Link (External Site): http://news.yahoo.com/
Link (External Site): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074119/
5-30-2005: WORM_MYTOB.AR
Security firm Trend Micro has released a medium level virus alert for worm WORM_MYTOB.AR. It is distributed as an e-mail with a file attachment of BAT, CMD, EXE, PIF, SCR, or ZIP, all file attachments you should normally be wary of when receiving e-mail. According to the advisory, it can open a backdoor on affected systems. Keep your virus signatures updated and ALWAYS be wary of email with file attachments, even if you know the sender (it can be forged!).
Link (External Site): http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/defau
lt5.asp?VName=WORM_MYTOB.AR
5-29-2005: Updated MalekTips Search Engine
With the site design changes I've made a few tweaks to the search engine so you can better find the tips you need, including:
1. For ease-of-use, the search engine more closely matches the look-and-feel of other search engines you may use.
2. After performing a search, the results page has two boxes pre-populated with your query, conveniently located at the top and bottom of the page.
3. You can now paginate through search results pages by skipping forwards or backwards up to 5 pages.
4. The search box has been moved underneath the new navigation tabs for your convenience.
5. If you use a stopword such as "the", "for", or "how", you will now be notified.
Enjoy!
5-29-2005: Updated MalekTips Design
It's been a while since we've changed the MalekTips design, so I made a few tweaks that should make it easier and more enjoyable for you to browse our site.
1. The top-level navigation tabs have been cleaned up and now sport a rounded design.
2. To "open up" the pages, the left-side navigation (which was mostly duplicated by the top-level tabs) has been removed.
3. This, combined with a minor graphical logo change, should brighten up the site.
I hope the new changes make it even easier for you to peruse the over 2,400 computer tips available on MalekTips!
5-26-2005: Netscape 8 and Internet Explorer Conflict
According to a blog entry on IEBlog, installing Netscape 8 causes Internet Explorer to fail rendering XML documents. There is a posted workaround on the blog that involves modifying the registry; however, it must be re-applied as "the registry key is continually rewritten".
Link (External Site): http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/05/25/421763
.aspx
5-26-2005: New Ask Jeeves Features
According to a press release, Ask Jeeves has added two new features to its search engine. A "zoom" feature lets you narrow or expand your searches based on relative concepts and names depending on your search. The "Web Answers" feature mines through webpages to help display answers to queried questions.
Link (External Site): http://www.irconnect.com/askjinc/pages/news_releas
es.html?d=78945
5-25-2005: iBook and PowerBook Battery Recall
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of certain iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 rechargeable batteries. Affected batteries may cause a fire hazard. Read the aforementioned link for more details on which specific batteries are affected by this recall.
Link (External Site): http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05179.
html
* Tips! *
These tips are NOT available to the general public yet! You can find them here first in the MalekTips newsletter! Thanks for subscribing.
Adobe Reader 7 - Repair Problems Viewing PDFs in Adobe Reader 7
Adobe Reader 7 crashing or not viewing PDF files? Repair the software with this tip.
Adobe Reader 7 - Freeware to Speed Up Adobe Reader 7
Freeware that claims to speed up Adobe Reader 7 by preventing infrequently-used plug-ins from loading.
Adobe Reader 7 - Highlight Form Fields and Change Highlight Color
Make it easier to edit forms in PDF documents within Adobe Reader 7.
Adobe Reader 7 - Remove All Toolbar Text Labels
Expert users - remove descriptions from the Adobe Reader 7 toolbar.
Adobe Reader 7 - Add Animated Transition Effects in Full-Screen Mode
Add blinds, dissolves, and glittering effects when switching between pages of a PDF document in full-screen mode with Adobe Reader 7.
Google Maps - Map a Location with Google Maps
Need to find an address on a map? Use the Google Maps tool with interactive panning and zooming.
Google Maps - Full Street Numbers Work Best
Qualify your addresses with full street numbers when searching with Google Maps.
Google Maps - Displaying Intersection Maps
Get a map to an intersection or cross-street with Google Maps.
Google Maps - Satellite Imagery
Display satellite images of the United States, Canada, or United Kingdom with Google Maps.
Google Maps - Baseball Stadium Images
View aerial photos of baseball stadiums with Google Maps.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Full Screen Print Preview
Hide taskbars and toolbars when previewing printouts in Microsoft Word 2003 to view more of the documents onscreen.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Show All Available Menu Commands
Force Microsoft Word 2003 to show all menu options available, not just the ones it thinks are the most used.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Speed up Document Opening by Not Updating Links
Speed up slow document loads in Microsoft Word 2003 by preventing automatic link updating.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Insert a Page Break
Force text in a Microsoft Word 2003 document to start on the following page by adding page breaks.
Microsoft Word 2003 - Speed Printouts by Removing Drawings
Prevent vector graphics in your Microsoft Word 2003 documents from slowing printouts.
Mozilla Firefox - Downgrade to a Previous Release of Firefox for Stability
Problems with the current version of Mozilla Firefox? Consider downgrading to a previous release.
Mozilla Firefox - Start Mozilla Firefox with Multiple Home Pages
Automatically open several webpages simultaneously when starting Mozilla Firefox.
Mozilla Firefox - View List of Installed Plug-Ins
Diagnose plug-in problems with Mozilla Firefox by viewing the list of installed software.
Mozilla Firefox - Clear Your Website History
Quickly clear the Mozilla Firefox website viewing log.
Mozilla Firefox - Create a New Tab
Three shortcuts in Mozilla Firefox that let you browse multiple websites in the same window using tabs.
Rhapsody Digital Music Service - What is Rhapsody? And Can I Get it For Free?
Listen to Internet radio stations and 25 on-demand songs for free every month with the Rhapsody digital music service.
Rhapsody Digital Music Service - Multiple Computers Are Supported
Rhapsody can be installed on multiple machines if you use one computer for home and another for work.
Rhapsody Digital Music Service - Forgot Your Username or Password?
Retrieve your Rhapsody username and password via e-mail in case you've forgotten it.
Rhapsody Digital Music Service - Check for Rhapsody Updates
Download security, feature, and other updates to the Rhapsody digital music service.
Rhapsody Digital Music Service - Raise / Lower Sound Volume
Adjust the sound level, or mute it altogether, from with the Rhapsody digital music service.
Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Create a "Run" Desktop Shortcut
Double-click an icon on your Windows XP Desktop to run software, bypassing the Start menu.
Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Change or Remove the E-mail Link on the Start Menu
Modify the E-mail link on the Windows XP Start Menu or remove it altogether if desired.
Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Create a Toolbar to Access Drives and CDs
Add a toolbar on the desktop of your Windows XP machine to gain quick access to CDs and removable drives.
Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Remove the "Run" Command from the Start Menu.
Help prevent computer neophytes from running random software by removing the "Run" command from the Windows XP Start menu.
Windows XP Taskbar - Toolbar - Start Menu - Quickly Close an Application from the Taskbar
Close applications hidden by other windows by running a Close command on the Windows XP taskbar.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
* Copyright Notice *
This newsletter can be redistributed, in electronic or print, provided that no changes are made to this document and this notice is left intact. If you wish to redistribute just pieces of this newsletter, such as certain articles, contact Andrew Malek for information.
MalekTips is published by Envision Programming:
Envision Programming attn: MalekTips PO Box 11592 Knoxville, TN 37939-1592
This issue of MalekTips is Copyright 2005 Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. All other copyrights and trademarks are properties of their respective companies. Note that due to tip recategorization, some of the URLs mentioned in the newsletter may have changed. If you have any problems finding a particular tip, use the MalekTips "Search" feature to conveniently find what you are looking for. |
