by David Hakala
A digital camera is almost a necessity these days. When you are checking out digital cameras keep in mind your intended uses for one. Here are some typical uses for digital cameras and the camera features suited to them.
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June 30, 2009
What to Look For In Digital Cameras
June 26, 2009
When Outlook Rules Don’t Work Automatically
by David Hakala
On the Tools menu of Outlook you will find “Rules and Alerts.” This option lets you create mail-handling rules that Outlook follows when it sends and receives email. For example, it can move or copy any message from your boss’ email address into a “High Priority” subfolder (rule) and/or notify you that such a message has arrived (alert). You can create rules that forward copies of messages to one or more destinations. Generally, rules are set to run automatically every time new messages come in, sorting and moving your mail around without your effort to run rules one at a time.
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June 23, 2009
How Do I Remove, Uninstall, and/or Disable Fonts?
by David Hakala
Removing unused fonts from your computer can speed up system reboots and help keep Windows running smoothly. But you don’t want to remove the fonts that Windows and your application programs need. Here is how to remove fonts safely.
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June 19, 2009
Laptop Keyboard Lights
by David Hakala
If you work on a laptop computer in low lighting conditions, you may wish you could see the keyboard better. In fact, many people want a laptop keyboard light. That’s why a keyboard light is built into some modern laptops.
Read your laptop’s documentation. If there is a keyboard light built into the machine, you will probably need special software from your laptop’s manufacturer to activate it.
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June 16, 2009
June 12, 2009
How Can I make Animated GIF Image Files?
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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June 9, 2009
Where Can I Find Reliable Medical and Prescription Drug Information?
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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June 5, 2009
Getting the Most Power and Life From Your Notebook Battery
by David Hakala
Laptop batteries require a bit more attention than flashlight batteries to extend their lives and maximize the power you get out of them. Most notebook computers come with battery and power consumption management software. Windows has a few tools built into it, too. Go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options.
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June 2, 2009
What Should I Look For In Blank CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Discs?
by David Hakala
CD and DVD recording media are simple plastic things that should be easy to buy. But there is quite a bit to know about blank discs before you purchase.
First, there’s spelling. ‘Disk’ refers to magnetic media such as hard drives and floppies (if you remember floppies). “Disc” refers to optical media such as CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray.
Next, there are discs that can be recorded only once and discs that are “re-writable”, that can be erased and recorded again just like magnetic disks. A CD-R disc is record-once, a CD-RW is re-writable. A DVD-R or DVD+R is record-once, and a DVD-RW or DVD+RW is re-writable.
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