Computer and Web Articles

If you have a friend or relative who is STILL hesitant to use a computer or the Internet, perhaps you may wish to suggest that he or she try out the “Computer Primer.”

The Masters Project of a University of Denver Grad Student, the Computer Primer was initially developed to help seniors who wanted to learn how to use a computer and/or the internet.

Though developed for seniors, the tool is well-suited for adults of all ages. Take a look: www.seniorcomputerprimer.com.

When you log on to the internet, what is the first page you always see? Whatever the page is, it’s called your Home page.

Often, your Home page is a page you could care less about - sometimes computer companies (or your kids) have already made this decision for you. If you know of a page that you’d prefer to see every time you log on to the internet - such as a news, sports, school or local webpage - it’s ridiculously easy to make the switch. Here, let me show you how.

First, open up your browser (this would most likely be the little blue “e” on your desktop, which is Internet Explorer). At the very top of your screen, click on the word Tools. Next, click on the option that reads Internet Options (If you use Firefox, click on Options). A little window pops open. The very top section of this window is what you’re looking for; type the website you had in mind into the box, then click the OK button at the bottom of the window. That’s it. Next time you open your browser, your new Home page will appear.

If you’re like me in that you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts whenever possible, listen up. You can navigate to your Start Menu without using your mouse by either pressing the “Windows” key on your keyboard (in between the Alt key and the Ctrl key) or, alternatively, hitting Ctrl + Esc.

Once the Start Menu is open you can navigate through it with your up, down, left and right arrow keys. You can also get directly to your Quick Launch toolbar (the toolbar with all the little icons in it) or your open tabs by hitting your “Tab” button once you have the Start Menu up. Give it a shot!

I recently happened upon a bright green website called Vitamin T.

Located at www.dailyvitamint.com, the site offers handy tips on a daily basis. The tips relate to anything and everything - from cooking and food to finance and money to transportation and travel. While not all the tips are particularly helpful, it’s fun to browse through their archives on occasion; you never know what neat little trick you’ll pick up.

Here are a couple of recent tips I liked:

1. Make your iPod battery last longer. When listening to your iPod through externally powered speakers (not headphones), turn speaker volume up and iPod volume down. This draws less power from the iPod battery, and you can listen longer before having to recharge.
2. Use www.addall.com to save money when buying books. Before you ever purchase any book you should first check www.addall.com. This website is a comprehensive search of all new and used book sellers online. It then ranks them by price. Great for school textbooks or your next favorite read.