Tech Tips Weekly [ The End Of A Windows Era + What Backup Format Is Best For You? + Sending Mobile Pics And Videos Made Easy ] 08/03/2012

WorldStart Tech Tips 2012-08-03 iPad CAPITALS We all know it's not good "netiquette" to use all capital letters, because it makes us LOOK LIKE WE'RE YELLING. Right? Well, maybe sometimes you need to yell. But if you're an iPad owner, it may seem like a pain to tap the Shift key for each and every letter – and it's especially bad if you've got a lot to say. Shift, type a letter – Shift, type a letter, etc. Well try this next time you need to get "screamy" with it: Double-tap the Shift Key before you start typing. It should turn blue to signify that Caps Lock has been turned on. Now scream away! ~Andrew Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version --- Windows XP: The End of an Era Resistance to change is universal, with even the most innovative among us determined – at some point – to maintain the status quo. This resistance is especially evident in users' loyalty to the Windows XP operating system. Released in October 2001, XP became – by September 2003 – the most widely used Windows OS, and remained in the lead until July 2011, when it was finally overtaken by Windows 7 (released October 2009). The long-anticipated – but wildly unpopular – Vista (released in 2006) barely registers in usage statistics. However, as of April 2014, Microsoft will discontinue XP support. What this means, according to Microsoft, is "…there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates." There has also been, and will likely continue to be, a lack of XP support from independent software and hardware manufacturers. So, while an unsupported Windows version will continue to function, in the increasingly dangerous and complex world of technology, in order to remain safe, it may be time to prepare for the inevitable, and consider other options. One of them is to upgrade an existing system. To determine whether your system will support Windows 7, Microsoft offers theWindows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which scans for compatibility issues and offers recommendations. Of course, another option is to purchase a Windows 7 computer, or wait for the release of Windows 8. For an interesting view of the history of Windows, click here. ~Kevin Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version YOU Need More Memory! Ready For An Amazing, Ultra-Fast Class 10 16GB SDHC Card? READY TO DROP $50-$80 BUCKS AT THE BOX STORE?! DON'T DO IT - We've Got 'em For $16.97! That's Our Lowest Price EVER! It's the Deal of the Century! It's 16 HUGE Gigs of Lightning Fast Class 10 Memory! (PSST - Read Below To Find Out Why Faster Is Better - It's Not What You Think) WOW!! STORE 3000 PHOTOS, 4000 SONGS, And HOURS OF VIDEO! ENOUGH SAID! It's a MASSIVE, SUPER-FAST Class 10 16GB SDHC card that works GREAT with digital cameras, MP3 players, GPS units, video cameras or pretty much anything that needs a high speed, high performance SD card! And it's a super sweet deal too! Why do you want it?!?!??! How can you even ask? :) SEE, we've heard ALL about you! Always running out of space on your SD cards, never having enough memory when you're out on vacation, always needing to download photos or videos to your computer because you're almost out of space. Constantly griping that your MP3 player needs to hold more songs. That's CRAZY! Sure, in the past it was understandable - up till now buying a 16GB card required an arm, a leg, and your first born, but read on - not this time! OK, first off it's CRAZY FAST! What's that mean to you? Well... Loading "stuff" to and from your computer will take less time! It will work at full resolution with your HD video camera! And may favorite - It speeds things up with your digital camera! How's that work? Say you're shooting a bunch of shots in a row at a birthday party then all the sudden the camera refuses to fire - hey, we've all been there. It's out of memory and can't write the information it has to the card fast enough! Ouch! A faster card allows the camera to recover MUCH quicker and lets YOU get back to shooting! In addition, this holds MASSIVE amounts of data! Check it out: 3000 photos from a typical 12 Megapixel camera! 4000+ 4 minute songs! Up to 4 hours of video! Thousands of Word Docs! It's FAST, it holds TONS, and check out the price below! OK, you can easily drop a TON of cash on one of these, but our supplier gave us a pretty amazing deal on a small quantity of these. So, instead of paying prices like these for similar cards... You get it for just $16.97!! WOW! Check it out: http://store.worldstart.com/product/7777 Watch out - the sale ends soon, but the truth is these will probably sell out WAY before then! (Price is heading back up to $24.97) Enjoy! ~Steve Are You Making A Terrible Mistake With Your Earbuds? Do You REALLY Know What You're Missing? See, when it comes to earbuds, a LOT of people mistakenly think that all of 'em are pretty much created equal - and that's about as far away from the truth as you can get! I'm here to tell you that listening to your music with cheap earbuds is like listening to your music in a GARBAGE CAN - At least that's what you'll think of your old earbuds once you try these! Here's the problem - Since great earbuds tend to be expensive, most people have never treated their ears to a GREAT set of earbuds. They foolishly think, "Gee, how much better could they be?" BIG MISTAKE! So, they go through life only experiencing the el-cheapo earbuds, never knowing the extraordinary acoustic treat they're missing out on! And it's a shame really - once you try a great set of earbuds, you'll never torture your ears with the cheap ones. Well, I'm here to break the price barrier and make your ears happier than they ever been! We just got a SLAMMIN' deal on these AMAZING Altec Lansing earbuds! They retail for $70 - but our price is gonna blow you away! Let me tell ya - once you pop these babies in your ears you'll never, ever, go back to the cheap earbuds! It's like the difference between B&W TV and HD TV! I kid you not - the first time I tried these I was FLOORED! I thought they'd sound a little better than my other earbuds but I was totally unprepared for the richness and clarity of sound I was hearing! Seriously - You'll wonder if you're dreaming when you pop these in - your music never sounded so good! Oh, just wait till you feel how comfortable these are! EASILY the most comfortable earbuds you'll ever experience! In fact, these ultra-high end earbuds come complete with 3 different sizes of ear cup for an "EXTREME COMFORT" perfect fit! Now that's thinking! Oh - and wait till you see the cord! I know, I know, what could be so great about a cord? How about a cloth cable that keeps everything from getting tangled? Yeah, now we're talking! Look, you spent a FORTUNE on your portable music player, why not spring for some earbuds that will really and truly treat you ears to some serious audio bliss? And the price is amazing! These retail for $69.99 and even the discounters can't touch us on this. Their deals: Our deal: How about just $16.97 and US shipping is FREE! For that kind of money, it's officially OFF THE HOOK CRAZY not to grab yourself a set of these earbuds! You may never have a chance to get a set of this caliber for this price ever again! I'm loving' mine - and you're gonna love yours! http://store.worldstart.com/product/7930 PS - PLEASE note this is a limited quantity deal! Please - limit 3 sets of earbuds per order! And HEY - If you don't think they're 100% worth it, return within 60 days for a refund - nothing to lose! How To Add A Printer To Your Mac What I love about using a Mac is that I can connect to any printer I want and print in about 30 seconds – no software to install or 45 minute wait to install the drivers. Apple, always thinking, put some software on the Mac which makes it compatible with almost any printer you'll need to use. This tutorial is the same for both wired, wireless and network printers. If you are using a wired printer, make sure it is plugged in to your Mac. If you are using a wireless printer, make sure it is switched on and both your Mac and the printer are connected to the network. If you have a printer on your network, which may be connected through an Ethernet cable, make sure that it is connected to your network and switched on as well. To setup a printer on your Mac: First, open system preferences on your Mac. Select Print & Scan from the menu: Select the plus (+) sign on the left hand side of printer window: You will then see your Mac search for active printers that are either connected to your Mac or on the network. Once it has found your printer select it and press the add button: Once that has been added, you are ready to start printing from your Mac. Easy as that! So next time you want to print something, select file from the top menu, then print, from the drop down menu which says "Printer" you will be able to select the printer that you have just added to your Mac and then print directly to it without the hassle of drivers or software to install. ~Alex Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version --- Mallory from NC asks: Okay, answer a question for me. Which is better for storing my important files and backing stuff up – flash drives, hard drives or optical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.)? When it comes to storing data of importance, the question of "which media should I use" makes itself apparent in our minds almost immediately. After all, storing precious pictures or personal documents on a disk or drive only to have it fail a few years, months, sometimes just weeks, down the road is an experience we all would rather avoid; particularly when storing major life events, such as birthday videos or wedding photos. So, what media should you choose when planning to store your important data? To answer this question, first we need to look at some of the qualities and limitations which the most commonly available storage formats present. Storage Format: Hard Disk Drives Pros: Large storage capacity for the price / Typically good lifespan Cons: Susceptible to malfunction due to mechanical failures and physical impact If you own a computer, be it desktop or laptop, then you most likely have files stored on a hard drive of some type, probably housed within your computer. While may be the safest place to store your hard drive(s,) doing so will not guarantee a trouble free experience. Why? A hard drive is somewhat similar to an old vinyl record player: housed inside the hard drives' outer casing are discs which spin as a mechanical arm moves back and forth above the disc surface, reading and writing data to and from the platters beneath. While this method of data storage has worked for many, many years, there has always been one unavoidable fault which leads to inevitable failure of a hard drive: the aforementioned mechanical parts. As with any device which relies on constant and precise mechanical movement to run, hard drive parts eventually fail, usually taking your data to the grave with them. Due to the precision with which they operate, hard impacts may also cause a hard drive to read or write data in error, and possibly fail altogether as well. Despite these shortcomings, most hard drives have a life expectancy of at least 3-5 years, with many reportedly living a healthy life at 10+ years of age. Storage Format: Optical Media (CD-R / DVD-R) Pros: Inexpensive, portable Cons: Inconsistent lifespan, temperamental storage requirements, data lost over time due to degradation Optical media, such as burnable CD's and DVD's, are quite handy for short term storage of data. However, they remain a less than desirable choice for long term and mission critical data archival. The reason is simple: everyday optical media degrades quickly and easily. Although many manufacturers claim their optical media will last for 30 years or more under perfect conditions, their actual lifespan with normal use and storage is typically closer to a few years (at most) than a few decades. There are many different factors which conspire against the lifespan of CD-R's and DVD-R's; sub-par dyes (the reflective portion of a disc where data is written) which degrade much sooner than rated, exposure to heat, cold, or sunlight which also degrade said dyes, and weak or wrongly calibrated optical disc burners which fail to write data as intended. All of these factors make everyday optical media formats a less than favorable storage choice; ok for short term data storage, but definitely not the choice for long term backup of important information. Storage Format: Flash Drives Pros: Durability, Versatility Cons: Debatable life span, higher price per gigabyte The last decade has given rise to the newest consumer storage devices in this comparison: solid state flash (aka thumb) drives. Unlike the aforementioned storage mediums, flash drives use no moving parts or temperate dyes to store data, relying instead on electrical pulses to write data to a static storage chip. This method of storage allows for much higher shock resistance and durability, as well as smaller form factors and increased portability, than what is traditionally offered in a hard drive or CD/DVD. The downside to this fantastic usability is a generally higher price per mega/gigabyte (i.e. for the price of a 32GB flash drive, you could purchase a larger portable hard drive with a terabyte (1000 gigabytes) of storage.) The life expectancy flash drives is also up for debate, as the solid state memory used to store your data does wear out the more times you write to it. Good quality flash drives from well known, trusted manufacturers are typically agreed to have a life span of a few years or more, making the flash drive a good choice for your everyday data storage needs. By now you're probably thinking to yourself "should I use any of these formats to store my data?" The answer is yes: use all of them. If you want to sleep soundly at night without worrying about your irreplaceable pictures, videos, documents, etc., regularly backup your important data on at two sources; creating duplicates which will allow you to retrieve your important information should any one backup fail completely. Sweet dreams! ~ J. Conboy Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version Do you have a question for us? Ask it here! Lore from NC writes: Can you tell me how to send pictures and video I have taken on my iPad? I am trying to send it to the family computer. Thanks! Apple has a fantastic walk-through on how to transfer photos and videos to your computer available here, but if you want to send the pictures/videos directly from the iPad... Click here to find out how! Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) --- WS App Review: Epocrates How amazing would it be to be able to carry around a full drug information database, interaction checker, medical calculator and medical reference suite used by the top doctors in the world for free? Epocrates offers an amazing app for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone which lets you do all that and more! (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) Kathy from Michigan writes: When I look at the small icon at the bottom right of my screen of two computer screens for my WiFi connection it reads: MyComputer(SusanSmith) Access Local and Internet. How can I get my name off of that so people can't tell that it's my computer with the high bars? No one else has a name on theirs, just me. Good question Kathy – and definitely a good idea to get your name off of the router. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to be able to easily identify my system. With all of the ways that people have devised to steal information and do damage to our systems I certainly don't want to give anyone even a small crack in the system to try to break through. Get the rest here! (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) --- OpenOffice.org Calc: Filter, Copy and Paste Your Data Simultaneously Often when we filter data it's to use that data subset somewhere else… so we filter, select the set of data, copy it, move to the new location then finally finish up with a paste. All of which works perfectly, but what if we could have Calc copy and paste the data automatically after it runs the filter? Sounds like a plan to me – especially since it only takes a few tweaks to the filter settings to get the extra work done. Since we can all come up with the "why we should know this" it's time to look at the how. Find out here! (Want these tips in their entirety? Sign up for Premium!) For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter. Stars and Constellations One of my favorite summer activities is stargazing, because it's warm enough to sit outside comfortably and check out the night sky. That's why this site is cool – because it lists the 26 brightest stars in our solar system, which in my opinion are the stars that we're more likely to be able to see when we're stargazing with the naked eye. Navigation is easy, just pick the section that you're the most interested in and dive in. You'll be able to choose from the 26 brightest stars, the 26 nearest stars, learn what a constellation is and so much more. You can check out the listings of constellations by alphabetical order or by month, and you can check out the stars also by alphabetical order or by which is the brightest. Don't forget to investigate the Interactive Star Charts – a fun way to explore the stars! I would also seriously suggest everyone read the FAQ! I learned so much from the questions that were answered. I had no idea why we could see the Milky Way even though we are a part of it. I love sites that teach me new things! Want to know more about our universe that doesn't involve stars and constellations? Then head down to the Supplementary Information section where you can learn all about the nine planets, as well as the Greek and Roman myths surrounding the stars, see the Astronomy Picture of the Day, and even check out the very handy Constellation Pronunciation Guide! http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ ~Amanda Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version --- FishFAQ One of my favorite summer activities as a kid was going fishing with my dad. I can remember driving out to one of the reservoirs in Findlay, Ohio one summer with him and my little sister in tow. We stopped at McDonald's for an early lunch of Happy Meals, and then went fishing. I never caught anything – I'm a very poor fisherman, but what I do remember is my dad patiently answering the dozens of excited questions I asked during our trip. He told me all about blue gill, perch, walleye, bass, and catfish. The memory of that trip has been on my mind lately, and got me to thinking about fish. I still have a lot of questions and when I went looking for the answers to those questions I found this site. Navigation is a little different than most sites. There aren't any menus at the side or top of the page – instead the sections are laid out in center of the page divided up by category. You just scroll down and click on the facts or questions that interest you. The categories are Miscellaneous Fish, What is the FishFAQ?, Salmon FAQs, Lobster FAQs, Crab FAQs, Shark FAQs, Shrimp FAQs, Shellfish FAQs, Cetacean FAQs, Pinniped FAQs, Turtle FAQs, and don't forget to check out the Ew, What's That? picture and scroll to the bottom of the page to find the answer. I just started with the first question and then clicked the Next fish button at the bottom of the page to navigate through the other questions from start to finish. You can also use the FAQ fish button at the bottom of the page to navigate back to the main page. Throughout the articles on this page answering questions you'll find a great facts, interesting tidbits, and even awesome photographs. That's why I got swept up and navigated through the site from start to finish. Go check it out for yourself today! http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/index.html ~Amanda Click here to rate this tip | Printer friendly version Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com Building a beautiful website isn't as hard as you may think. Especially with this easy to use Website Maker software! It has to be easy, you know why? My own mother is able to create webpages now! That is truly something. I'm telling you, if you've ever wanted to create an eye-catching website - then this is the deal you've been waiting for! As for the type of sites this can do, well - your imagination is really the limit! You can make a simple personal site to show off your family photos, you can build an information site about your favorite subject, you can put together a "group" site complete with calendars, news, schedules, whatever! Pretty much anything you can think of, this can do - and probably already has a killer template ready to go! It's literally as easy as 1-2-3! First you choose your design from a selection of professional templates & customize the layout. There are hundreds of templates for you to choose from and customize! Next, quickly and easily add multimedia content - photos, videos, music, text, effects, animations and more! This program makes it quick and easy to design your site with professional results! Now it's time to publish, host and market your website! You can keep your photos and blogs current with the easy-to-use editing tools. You can EVEN track your site's statistics! Talk about awesome! And your cost? Just $10.97 and US shipping is free!! Don't blow $100's for someone else to create your website, when you can do it yourself for under 11 bucks! http://store.worldstart.com/product/6963 PS: The price WILL Increase to $14.97 Monday! You gotta grab this TODAY!! August Wallpaper! OK, trying something different this month. Due to a crazy schedule, I'm going to do a "best of" wallpaper series this month. These images are our most popular for wallpaper, so enjoy! As always, all the desktop wallpaper below is 100% free. Mesa Arch Sunrise Late August, Canyonlands National Park, 4:30 AM at the Mesa Arch parking lot. It's empty! If you've never been to Mesa Arch, you might be thinking... (more) Dead Horse Point Lightning Strike We had just been out scouting around for new location in nearby Arches National Park and had decided to come back to camp for a break when these thunderstorms really began to pop (late afternoon). By the time we arrived at the Dead Horse Point, I couldn't get to the overlook fast enough. We scrambled down the sandstone to a spot that I had scouted out the day before and... (more) Split Rock Moonrise The day this was created was the day after the full moon, with moonrise coinciding with sunset pretty closely. I knew from checking my compass that the moon would be in a good location, but you can imagine my disappointment when... (more) It can all be found here: http://www.backcountrygallery.com/wallpaper/ Enjoy! ~Steve

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