GREATER BOSTON SENIOR COMPUTER GROUP NEWSLETTER
Issue No. 57, June 9, 2004
CHAIRPERSON:: Arline Ekman, AVE@alumni.unh.edu
EDITOR: Harriet Mandell, harrietd@rcn.com
WEB PAGE: Garry Ziffer, http://users.rcn.com/gbscg
LIAISON: Eve Welts, ewelts@rcn.com
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DIGITAL CAMERAS feature called DIGITAL ZOOM does not offer the same results as a zoom Lens - - that brings you closer to your subject. Digital zoom trims away the perimeter of your image and enlarges the remaining area to fill the frame. This bit of digital manipulation leads to lower image quality than you get when capturing the same area in digital photography with a true zoom lens called an OPTICAL ZOOM. The picture quality is better if you avoid the digital zoom feature. Also, an optical zoom affects depth of field (range of sharp focus) as well as how much background is included in your shot. Check your camera manual to find out how digital zoom is activated and if possible whether it can be turned off all together if you so desire.
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TO CREATE A STRONG PASSWORD … use a strong passphrase as the basis. It should include a combination of up to eight characters including letters, numbers, and symbols and is easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. A passphrase is a sentence that you can remember, like “my dog has fleas.” You can make a pretty strong password by using the first letter of each word of the sentence. For example mdhf. However, you can make this password even stronger by using a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters that look like letters. For example, using the same memorable sentence and a few tricks, your password is now mdh4f! (notice, I have added a 4 and ! ) Try a common phrase such as the first line of a favorite poem or song. Just add a number capital letter or sign to it.
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DRESS UP YOUR E-MAIL…or save an expression or any text of your choosing such as an address you like to include in your e-mail. In Outlook Express select Tools…Options…and click the Signature tab then the New button. After typing the information, give it a name. Anytime you want to use this after composing a message just click on Insert on the toolbar and select Signature.
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SPEED UP MENU RESPONSE TIME…In Windows XP , right-click the desktop, choose Properties, click the Appearance tab, and click the Effects button. Now uncheck the box which says Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips.
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WISH TO ELIMINATE THE DOUBLE-CLICK option in Windows and prefer to use single-clicking on an item to open it Open My Computer, Click Tools, Click Folder Options, in the General tab select the single-click to open an item option.
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CURE A VIRUS… but make sure to quarantine your SYSTEM RESTORE file as well…System Restore is a feature in Windows XP and ME. It helps you to reset your computer to a better time and place if it works incorrectly. You can go back to a time when it worked correctly. But when you have a virus, System Restore is a problem. Once you clean the computer, you don't want old, infected versions of Windows stored. So if you get a virus, disable System Restore after cleaning the computer. Click Start/Control Panel. Double-click system. Choose the System Restore tab. Check the box next to "Turn off System Restore."Click Apply/OK. Reboot the computer and re-enable System Restore. You can create a new restore point manually. Click Start/All Programs Accessories/System Tools/System Restore. Follow the wizard.Disabling System Restore deletes all of your old restore points. You can create a new restore point manually. Click Start/All Programs Accessories/System Tools/System Restore. Follow the wizard.
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WORD TIP…Quickly move the cursor to the location it was at when the document was last saved by pressing SHIFT + F5.
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TO QUICKLY AND EASILY alphabetize the icons in the start- menu programs list drop down menu, right click within the drop down programs window and click on "Sort by Name”
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WHY STAY WIRED? WHY GO WIRELESS? Although the performance of wireless networks is improving, in most cases you'll still be able to surf and play games faster on a wired network. Plus, many new houses already come pre-wired with cables so you can easily hook up your own home network without having to do any fancy wiring yourself. The obvious benefit of a wireless network is convenience. You can use the same printer, Internet connection, and other computer devices on several machines without wires. You can also reduce the number of wires running across the room, under rugs, and in some cases, from room to room.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/articles/network.asp more info.
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NOT FOR EVERYONE….Windows XP users who are using a wireless connection may notice a sudden and inexplicable loss of their wireless Internet connection although according to the computer icons everything is working.and the signal is strong. This can suddenly happen and just as suddenly correct itself. Microsoft experts say don’t blame XP while other software manufacturers also opt out of the blame. Here is a temporary fix which may act as a workaround if you want to experiment. Go to Control Panel..choose Administrative Tools…Select Services. Atwo-pane window comes up…In the right-hand pane, scroll down and click Wireless Zero Configuration…Click Stop the Service. A progress bar may come up briefly. Click Start the Service. Again, a progress bar may come up….Close the Services window. At this point, the connection should come back. Or just close the Internet program and go back in.
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WANTED: URL's of web sites; Helpful hints for Mac users, Win 95/98/ME/XP. Software reviews, desired topics for future meetings. Send these items via email to the editor. Please sign your email with your name. We will publish your email address, but not your name, phone number or address without your permission