Email Newsletter - 07-30-08

Castellini on Computers Free Weekly Email Newsletter
July 30, 2008

Visit HelpMeRick.com ANY time to learn about your computer!
I guarantee it will save your time, money, and sanity!!

Spelling and punctuation guaranteed to be at least 88 percent accurate

In this week's issue. . .

*** Tip of the Week

*** Geek Speek of the Week - (Simple definition of common computer terms)

*** Computer News...and comment

*** Last week's Poll results

*** Email of the week
I am happy to report that the Rick Answers His Email videos are in full production and I'm nearly caught up with the email the Questions@helpmerick.com inbox. You view those videos at HelpMeRick.com or at my YouTube channel. If you've written a question to me via the web site, chances are you will find your answer in one of the videocasts.

This week's tip explains and demonstrates some new Firefox features and of course I bring you some of the news from the world of tech.

Read on and enjoy this week's edition of the Castellini on Computers Newsletter!

READ ALL PAST ISSUES OF THE NEWSLETTER HERE

Email your questions to us and we will answer them via a weekly YouTube video or on our daily website updates!

Custom Computer Help from Rick and Adam

We have been posting a new how-to video every week since November 2006 and the feedback has been tremendous. Now YOU have the opportunity to get your own customized video tutorial about a topic that you are having trouble with or just want to learn.

To learn more, visit: www.HelpMeRick.com/videohelp

Tip of the Week

More Firefox 3.0 Features - Video Tip
I've posted some tips already demonstrating some of the power of Firefox 3.0. In today's tip, I demonstrate how Mozilla has improved Firefox's tabbed browsing, improved the ability to find and manage 3rd party add-ons, customize your address and search bar box lengths and more. Take a look at the video and learn why Firefox 3.0 remains at the top of the Internet browsing mountain.

Watch this week's tip of the week by clicking here.
Geek Speek
Short Messaging Service (SMS) was designed to send short (160 characters or less) messages via cellular phones. Another common term for this technology is simply texting. SMS or texting also spawned the development of a special predictive text technology called T9 (text on 9 keys) that gives cell phone users a quicker way of creating their text (SMS) messages.

SMS

Computer News...and comment

More James Bond gear becoming reality
This week the giant annual EAA AirVenture show in Wisconsin got a big boost in publicity when a small company known as Martin Jetpack demonstrated his jetpack. Jetpacks have been around in limited us for some time and had limited flight time, but Glenn Martin bills his as the "first practical jetpack" which can run as long as 30 minutes. He plans to sell the units later this year for around $100,000.

The Martin Jetpack's engine produces more than 600 pounds of thrust from a 200 horsepower engine. For more information and pictures, click here to read the article and get the links at TGDaily.com

Spammer escapes from prison - UPDATE

Since I wrote about convicted spammer Edward Davidson last week, I thought I should give an update. The story took a grim turn late last week when he apparently murdered his wife, children, then took turned the gun on himself.

Spammers already have a bad reputation, but this act clearly lumps them together as bona fide criminals.

Dell shrinks their computers
Dell introduced a new line of computers this week known as the Studio Hybrid. The new computer will offer up 320GB or storage and 4 GB of RAM and measures only 8" square and about 3" thick. Dell says that the computer will require up to 70% less energy than a standard PC.

Like the Mac Mini that has been around for a few years, Dell hopes customers will buy these machines to use as a second or third computer in their living rooms, kitchens or elsewhere. Unlike the Mac Mini, this mini-computer will run on Windows Vista.

Adobe releases new version of high end photo management
Lightroom is a product from Adobe that few people have heard of over the past few years. Think of it as Adobe Photoshop Elements Organizer or Picasa on steroids. Adobe markets this product to professional photographers, but for serious digital photo hobbyists, shelling out $300 for this program might not be out of reach.

I honestly don't know a lot about the product and think Picasa offers plenty of power for me, but you can click here to learn more about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.

Poll Results

Which U.S. Presidential candidate is more tech savvy?

Next week's poll:
Do you use text messaging SMS on your cell phone?

Log on to HelpMeRick.com and VOTE!!

Bob Barr 8%
John McCain 20%
Ralph Nader 12%
Barack Obama 37%
Ron Paul 24%

Rick's thoughts: How did Ron Paul not win this contest?

Email of the week
Rick

II tried to add a cdr-rw drive to the "send to" menu using a tip submitted by pcsnpixels on 12/6/05. I couldn't get this to work as I could not find a "send to" folder as described in the tip. When I searched for a "send to" folder in the Windows folder it found C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\
systemprofile\Send To. I dragged the cdr-rw icon from "my computer" into this folder but it did not work.
Could you please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Thank you,
Jon

----------------

Hi Jon,

I'm betting that you have some other type of CD burning software on your system that has taken over those duties from Windows so you can't use that tip. Have you tried doing the same thing with a flash drive?

However, more than likely it is another program preventing you from doing the Send To shortcut, because Windows XP automatically adds your CD burner and other removable media to the Send To menu.
Have a good week.

Rick

Castellini on Computers & HelpMeRick.com ©2008

• ‹ previous
• 24 of 1355
• next ›