July2, 2009 - The
Most Common Password Is...
The most common password is "password." If you could
guess that, how long do you think it would take someone to guess YOUR
password? (If you guessed "abc123" or "qwerty", you were close.) Keeping
track of your passwords is important, and it's not as hard as you think.
Also, Adobe Flash and Adobe Shockwave have critical updates you should
get. And if you don't want Internet Explorer 8 automatically downloaded,
you can block it with a tool from Microsoft.
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 25, 2009 -
Why Search When You Already Know The Answer?
Why search when you already know the answer? When you
don't know the answer, do you like Google or Bing? Do you know how to
get rid of those automatic email address suggestions? I've got the
answer to that one for you!
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 18, 2009 -
Three Nice Little Helpers
Have some fun this week with a beautiful desktop
wallpaper, an online document reader, and a tool to make reading web
pages much, much easier.
[R E A D M O R E]
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June 4, 2009 -
Microsoft Releases SP2 and Bing
Vista Service Pack 2 is available, but not mandatory.
Yet. Microsoft's new internet search engine is available, and it's kind
of...interesting. [R E A
D M O R E]
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May 28, 2009 -
Just Have Fun
Almost every week I try to tell you about something
useful, something that will make your computing experience easier or
more fulfilling.
Not today. Today I am going to tell you about websites that are
interesting, fun, or just plain silly. If they turn out to be useful as
well, don't blame me.
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 21, 2009 -
What's New?
Internet Explorer 8 is here. Windows 7 is on the way,
and should be available just in time for Christmas, according to
Microsoft. We'll cover both topics in this week's column.
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 14, 2009 - Turn
Off Indexing To Improve Performance
How often do you use the Search function built in to
Windows? If you just said, "WHAT Search function?" then I bet you can
speed up your computer a little!
[R E A D M O R E]
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May 7, 2009 - How
To Download and Install A Program
One way to keep your computer free of unwanted junk
programs is to take control of what you download and install. It's easy
to do! [R E A D M
O R E]
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April 30, 2009 -
What Does Your Desktop Look Like?
Is your desktop
a mess? The thing to keep in mind here is, this is YOUR desktop. So if
you want stuff all over it, don't cave to the pressure others might
apply to clean up your desktop.
If, however, even you are having trouble finding anything on your
desktop because of the clutter, I have some suggestions that might help.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 23, 2009 -
Two Ways To Store And Share Files Online
Save a copy of your important documents effortlessly.
Share files easily and securely, even with yourself. Grab a file on your
home computer from wherever you are. And please STOP sending huge video
files via email! Here are two free, secure, and simple ways to
accomplish all that. [R
E A D M O R E]
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April 16, 2009 -
How To Get Help
I can take apart a laptop, remove the keyboard,
reseat a cable and breath life into the keyboard again. But do not ask
me to change the oil in my own car --- that's a mystery to me. Still,
when the car acts up, I can't just take it to the repair shop and say,
"my car doesn't work" and expect them to fix it right away.
When you have a computer problem and you need help, there are several
ways you can approach the situation, some more effective than others. If
you want to throw your hands in the air and just say "my computer
doesn't work" then go for it! That's what we're here for, after all. But
if you want to help someone help you, read on.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 9, 2009 -
How do I...
Thanks to everyone who writes in with questions, I
always have something to share! Here are the answers to two of the
questions I often encounter.
[R E A D M O R E]
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April 2, 2009 -
Solved!
Although this column periodically contains answers to
readers' questions, there are always some that I just can't answer, at
least right away. Over the past two weeks, I've managed to find answers
to several of the questions in my "Pending" file, and moved them to
"Solved". [R E A D
M O R E]
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March 19, 2009 -
Just For Fun Plus One
This week we fun things to do with your digital
photos, help for crossword puzzle people, plus one program that is just
plain useful. No dire security warnings this week; the standard
precautions still apply!
[R E A D M O R E]
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March 12, 2009 -
Answering Your Questions
Going through my In Box is always interesting because
I get so many interesting questions! This week I answer two of them, and
as a bonus, I nag you about some security updates!
[R E A D M O R E]
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March 5, 2009 -
Flash and Everything
Almost everyone uses Adobe Flash, whether you know it
or not, and Adobe has some important patches for us. Are you looking for
the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? Well, I can't help you
today with the first two, but I do know a little bit about Everything.
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 26, 2009 -
No Mouse, No Keboard, No Problem
I'm tied up on a project this week, and won't have
time to write a column. Here is a nostalgic look back to a
previous column that I hope you will enjoy. I'll see you next
week, as usual! [R E A D M O
R E]
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February 19, 2009 -
Fun With Fonts
Are you tired of Times New Roman? Are you bored with
Arial? Have I got some fonts for you!
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 12, 2009 -
A Valentine Warning For You
Just in time for Valentine's Day, a computer worm and
more annoyance-ware. How to avoid that; how to get rid of the old Java
versions hanging around on your computer, and more on the Web Of Trust.
[R E A D M O R E]
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February 5, 2009 -
Keeping Spyware Out
Besides finding and removing spyware from people's
computers, I try to help people keep the spyware out. Here are two ways
you can protect yourself from spyware.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 29, 2009 -
Three Tips
Burn a CD or DVD, make a flyer or some address
labels, and always know the date. This week's column answers three
questions that will make your computing a little more fun.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 22, 2009 -
What's the Difference?
What's the difference between a hard drive and RAM?
Is a virus the same thing as spyware? This week we sort out some
commonly confused terms. [R E A D
M O R E]
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January 15, 2009 -
Browser Trouble
Your internet browser is the program that allows you
to view web pages. Unless someone printed this column out for you and
you're reading it on a piece of paper or someone is reading it to you,
you are using a web browser right now. Two popular browsers are Internet
Explorer and Firefox. Most of the time we take them for granted, but
sometimes things go wrong. [R E A D
M O R E]
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January 8, 2009 -
Questions and Answers
This week, 64-bit Vista, a left-handed mouse, and a
fix for multiple emails.
[R E A D M O R E]
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January 1, 2009 -
Quick Tips For A Tidy Computer
You'll find this column is a Resolution Free Zone. I
hope you have a happy and prosperous 2009. Here are three things that
might make your computing a little easier and a little tidier.
[R E A D M O R E]
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