by David Hakala
It’s all too easy to get lost in your computer and the Web, totally ignoring the real world. Writers and programmers do it all the time; so do gamers. But sooner or later you have to get up and go outside. It would be nice to know what’s going on out there. A number of online weather services can put the current weather report for your area right on your desktop so you don’t even have to look out the window.
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by David Hakala
You go to a Web site and start reading it. But immediately, another browser window opens and displays something you probably didn’t want to see, hiding what you came to see. That second window is a pop up window, also called a popup or pop-up.
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by David Hakala
You may have seen images that move on Web sites or in emails.
They’re called “animated GIF” images. You can make them too with a bit of work. Actually, there are a few tools that eliminate much of the work.
An animated GIF image actually consists of several images contained in a single file. Each image depicts is subject in different position. The images are displayed in sequence automatically, creating the illusion of motion. You probably did something similar as a child, drawing pictures of a running figure on successive pages of a notepad and then riffling through the pages rapidly with your thumb. Animated GIF images are the same thing done digitally.
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by David Hakala
People are taking greater interest in and control of their health care these days. The Web enables people to research medical conditions and treatments thoroughly, ask doctors the right questions, and find treatments that work when traditional medicine fails.
The greatest medical science advancement in modern times is the placement of drug information on the Web in font sizes big enough to be read without a microscope. RxList.com is the premier site for drug information. Its databases contain all the standard information printed illegibly on “patient information brochures” included with prescriptions, plus current and archived news about drug recalls, FDA actions against particular drugs, research on the efficacy of different drugs, and much more.
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by David Hakala
Encryption is the scrambling of digital data in such a way that it can be read only by its creator and intended recipients. It may be advisable to encrypt the data on your hard drives; your email during transmission; the information you send or receive via a Web browser; or any other digital information that you don’t want just anyone to read.
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by David Hakala
Six in 10 Americans own pets of some sort, according to a 2006 Gallup poll. Dogs and cats are the runaway favorites. (Turtles don’t “run” away.) Among pet owners, 73 percent own a dog and 49 percent own a cat. Among all Americans, 27 percent own a dog but not a cat, 12 percent own a cat but not a dog, 17 percent own both, and 3 percent own pets other than cats or dogs. So it’s not surprising that there are lots of places online to talk about pets, pet supplies, and pets for sale.
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by David Hakala
Adobe Flash is a multimedia format that presents movie-like animations. You may find Flash files embedded in TV news Web sites and other visually oriented sites. To view Flash presentations you need special software.
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by David Hakala
It seems every form of Internet access is “high speed” or “broadband” these days. But you have to wonder exactly what “high speed” means and who really has it.
“High speed” and “broadband” are used interchangeably. “Broadband” refers to the range, or band, of signal frequencies on which an Internet signal operates. The broader the band is, the more data traffic it can carry. Think of an 8-lane highway versus a 2-lane residential street.
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by David Hakala
Buying a car is exciting, traumatic, tedious, tempting. It’s also easier than ever before thanks to the many tools available on the Web. You can find the car of your dreams; make sure it isn’t a nightmare; learn what it’s really worth; and even insure it all online.
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by Gabe Goldberg
Generational difference exist in attitudes about libraries and librarians. My school-years experience visiting the library for research and asking librarians for reference help is likely less common in the age of available-everywhere Google for searching and Wikipedia for research. So today’s youngsters may miss out on a treat, since it’s hard for solitary PC keyboard tapping to replace the friendly neighborhood librarian.
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