Outline for Senior Center Presentation on September 13, 2004

http://smartcomputing.com

An Effective "Oops" Strategy

Have you ever had the experience of moving, copying, cutting, renaming, or deleting a file or other data, then, a second later, realized that you had made a horrendous mistake? If you’re like me, you scream, collapse in a heap, and sob uncontrollably until the paramedics arrive or you lose consciousness, whichever comes first. The next time an "oops" situation presents itself, before the screaming begins, press the keystroke combination CTRL-Z, which will reverse (undo) your last action. As simple as this tip is, it can be a lifesaver. Your family, neighbors, and paramedics will thank you.

The Time-Day-Date Continuum

To display the time, day, and date on your Windows XP computer, expand the height of the Taskbar (at the bottom of your screen), making it a double or triple decker. To do that, place your mouse pointer on the top horizontal edge of the Taskbar. When the pointer turns into a double-headed arrow (which scared the heck out of me the first time it happened), hold down your left mouse button and slowly drag the top edge up toward the top of your screen. On most monitors, a two-tiered Taskbar will display the time and day of the week; the three-tiered version will display time, day, and date. Contrary to popular belief, continued expansion will not display the phase of the moon, tide, or wind-chill factor.

  Emailing On Schedule

If you’re like me, there are times when you need to send an email on a certain date and at a certain time, but for one reason or another—perhaps dodging the process server or waiting for bail to be set—that’s just not always possible. If so, step into the Time Cave (http://www.timecave.com). Write your message, store it at the Time Cave, and your email will be sent out on the date and at the time designated. Use it to send reminders to yourself, as well as for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and bar mitzvahs. The service is free for two messages per day; $12 per year for unlimited messages and to remove advertising that appears at the bottom of messages.

by Mr. Modem


Mr. Modem (Richard Sherman) is an author, syndicated columnist, radio host, and publisher. "Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter" provides personal responses to subscribers’ computer and Internet questions, plus weekly computing tips, Web site recommendations, virus alerts, hoax warnings, and more. For additional information, visit http://www.MrModem.com or email MrModem@smartcomputing.com.

The Hot Spot For Hotspots

Problem: I just purchased a wireless card for my notebook, and I’m dying to try it out somewhere other than my home. Where are the wireless hotspots in my area?

Solution: Accessing the Internet via a wireless connection is an option that’s quickly growing in popularity, and finding hotspots is as easy as going to JiWire (http://www.jiwire.com) and using its search engine. The search engine requests information such as your city, state, ZIP code, and/or airport code. To get more specific, click Advanced Search so you can enter such criteria as a proximity range, access fee preference, and connection type. Keep in mind that many of these hotpots will have service fees attached to them, but there are numerous free hotspots, as well. Now that’s hot.

A Skeleton Key For Registered Sites

Problem: I want to check out an article at a particular Web site, but the site requires registration. I’m tired of providing personal information to all of these sites, and I’m worried about spam. Do I have to register?

Solution: We’ll leave questions about ethics and responsibility up to you, but if you want to read an article on a popular gated site (such as the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, or The Washington Post), an alternative to entering your own info is at BugMeNot.com (http://bugmenot.com). This site hosts a selection of logins and passwords to popular free registration-required sites. BugMeNot.com claims that a large percentage of users enter false information anyway, so using it as an option can save you some time and hassle.