Newsletter
Volume
Issue III
General Meeting:
Our next general meeting will
be held in Farnsworth Hall next Wednesday, April 4th, at 9:00 AM. We
will have a very good and informative speaker. Jim Pavletich is the Public
Affairs Officer for the Social Security Administration.
Topic:
Social Security (SSA) is always looking for opportunities to share information
about our programs and services. This is of special interest to those who
are computer literate as we are rapidly expanding our Internet and online
services. Specifically, we are interested in explaining our benefit
programs (Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and Supplemental Security
Income) and how our public can access those programs. Knowing there are a
huge number of "Baby Boomers" who could file their own claims over the
Internet this offers them a more convenient way to obtain their benefits.
We also offer Internet services for those who are already eligible. We
offer services to employers and tax professionals to assist in filing W-2
information.
We
would like as large a crowd as possible. Invite your neighbors and your friends.
This is a subject, on which, we all want to be more knowledgeable.
Ask
Mr. Modem! – March 2007
www.MrModem.com
Q. I’m confused about the different versions of the new Windows
A. Sure. There are five versions of
Vista Home Basic - Similar to Windows Home Edition, this version does not
include
Vista Home Premium - This is Vista Home Basic, but with the media features
included. It’s primarily for users who watch TV on their PC or who want to
create DVDs from camcorder footage.
Vista
If your current system is meeting your needs, there’s really no great urgency
to move to
Q. I’m thinking of changing from Outlook Express to Outlook, but I
occasionally use the Stationery feature in Outlook Express. Can you tell
me if that is also a feature in Outlook? Thanks for your help, Mr. M.
A. Yes, it is, but you have to have HTML format selected for your email to
use stationery. To do that, click Tools > Options > Mail Format tab.
In the “Send in this Message Format” area, select HTML.
Next, click Stationery Picker > New. In the “Enter a Name for Your New
Stationery” box, care to guess? That’s right, enter a name.
Under “Choose How to Create Your Stationery,” select whether to start from
scratch or use an existing stationery. To select an existing file, use the
Browse button to navigate to your selection, then click Next and select the
option you want to use. For Help with any option, click the ? button in
the upper right-hand corner, then click the option.
Q. You explained how to check what programs launch automatically when
Windows starts, by clicking Start > Run, typing in “msconfig” and going
to the Startup tab. I disabled a bunch of programs that were running in the
background, but every time I start my computer now, I get a message that says
the computer is in the selective start-up mode for troubleshooting. How can I
get back to the regular startup mode?
A. That “selective start-up mode” message you’re seeing is only a
cautionary message, confirming that you disabled one or more of the programs
that were automatically loading at startup. The next time that message
appears, just click to place a check mark in front of “Don't show this message
or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows Starts," followed
by OK. That will prevent the message from appearing again in the future.
Q, I need to install the Adobe Reader, but I’m running short on
hard-drive space. Can you recommend a smaller PDF reader that I can use?
A. Yes, the Foxit PDF Reader (http://tinyurl.com/4a4a6)
is small, loads quickly, and has an integrated search utility. Like the Adobe
Reader (http://tinyurl.com/6ip)
it’s also free, but Foxit is a scant 1.5MB compared to Adobe’s bloated
27.5MB size.
Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em) Sites of the Month - March 2007
All Things Laptops
View notebook computer reviews and articles about laptops, including brand names
such as Acer, Apple, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, IBM (Lenovo), Sager, Sony
and Toshiba. If you’re looking for information and user-based opinions about a
laptop, this would be an excellent place to start.
www.laptopical.com
Mr. Picassohead
An online do-it-yourself portrait center for painting in the style of the
abstract artist Pablo Picasso. Click “Create a Picassohead now,” then drag
and drop Picasso elements onto a blank canvas. Click the “View the
Galleries” link to see what other abstractionist wannabees with too much time
on their hands have created.
www.mrpicassohead.com
Wi-Fi Finder
Find any of more than 115,000 wireless hotspots in 100+ countries. Search by
address, airport, ZIP code, city, state, country, type of business,
pay/free/both, or distance.
http://laptopmag.jiwire.com
Mr. Modem provides prompt, personal answers to computer and Internet
questions by email, plus easy-to-use PC tips, including Windows