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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
The Bahamas Weekly is pleased to present
computer tips by WorldStart.com
Get the latest Technology news, helpful computer and software tips, discounts on new gizmos and gadgets that make life easier!
This week: In the News
(this week in technology) learn about the new Apple iPad, and latest
Skype version; The difference between Windows XP Home and XP Pro; Tips
on MS Office; learn more about
cell
ranges in Excel formulas; Learn how to Auto-Forward Emails to Multiple
Email Addresses; and how do Restrict Unwanted Web Sites...
Google Recipes
If you're looking for a new recipe to help break you out of a "food
rut", then maybe it's time to give Google a try. It might sound odd, but
the "Big G" can help you find all sorts of new and tasty things to
make, plus you can refine your searching to accommodate for time constraints or
certain ingredients!
Here's how:
Browse over to Google.com and type in
a dish - I used Chicken Cordon Bleu, for example. A few recipes and pictures
should pop up, but if you click
Recipes
off in the left-hand column Google turns into the coolest
cookbook ever!
Not only will it show you all the recipe results for the dish in question,
but it'll give you options for low calorie versions or even recipes that take
less time to make! You can even refine your recipe search to exclude (or
include) certain ingredients!
Note:
If you don't see a
Recipes
option in the left-hand column, click the
More button.
Get cookin'!
How to Set Up Email Aliases
in Hotmail
Microsoft has recently introduced a new and innovative email feature for
Hotmail users. Hotmail Email Alias, as it is coined, allows Hotmail users to
setup aliases using their existing Hotmail account.
What is an Email Alias?
Email alias is an alternate email ID that is mapped to any existing email address.
The core idea behind these aliases is to avoid spam to enter in your original
email address. So if you have an email address that you are using for your
official or private matters, and you don't want it to be crowded with spam,
having an email alias can be very handy and useful.
Email Aliases offered by
Other services
Email alias is not a new thing altogether, lot of email services allow users to
generate a dummy sort of email alias with the inclusion of a "+" sign
to the main email address. For example, if johnathan@hotmail.com is a primary
email address of a user, adding up a "+" sign with a description word
like "blogger" would generate an alias that is jonathan+blogger@hotmail.com.
This generated alias would be mapped to the original email ID and spam can be
avoided. But the main problem with this particular method is that anyone can
figure out the primary email ID from the structure and spam will still keep on
coming.
MS Word: Location and Text Wrapping in One Setting
It's not uncommon for us to find ourselves dragging a picture or drawing object
around a document to place it where we need it, and then to turn around, go
back to the Ribbon to set the word wrapping.
Let's face it, sometimes it feels like a good 10 minutes before we're done
tinkering with these basic things, after inserting a picture or drawing object.
If you start throwing in the whole size, shape, recoloring and other settings,
you're now looking at pretty good time investment.
Understand that I think that the time is well spent when the final document is
revealed, and it really shines when compared to the "plain Jane"
thing that it could have been.
However, it seems to me that if I can find a shortcut or two to speed up the
process, without reducing the quality of the effects usually applied, I'm
thinking that it's a good idea and worth exploring.
If you agree that the idea of a shortcut to enhancing your Word documents is
worth exploring, click here
for more.
If you'd like to learn more about the Hotmail alias feature, click here.
Can you please go over what
Web site certificates are? I'm having a little trouble understanding their
purpose. Thanks for all your help!
Wow, you guys come up with
some really great questions! I have to tell you, the Q&A section of the
newsletter is my favorite, because often times, the questions that are asked
are ones that can help everyone. They're not just about one person's computer
or about one specific problem someone is having. No, you all ask questions
about very broad topics and that's perfect for this part of WorldStart's
newsletter. We want to help as many people as we can and I truly believe we're
doing that by answering the questions you ask. And today's topic is no
exception.
You asked about Web site certificates and that's exactly what you're
going to learn all about today!
First of all, if a certain company or organization wants their Web site to use
encryption and be secure, they must obtain a site (or host) certificate. If
they don't, they will not be registered as a secure Web site. So, how do you
tell if a site is secure or not? Well, we've gone over this before, but let's
cover it one more time, just to be sure we're all on the same page. There are
two things you can check on to find out if a site is secure or not. The first
is generally some type of lock or key symbol, usually located in the address
bar. The second is how the Web site's URL reads. On a secure site, the very
beginning part will always be "https," rather than just
"http." That extra "s" makes all the difference when it
comes to security.
So, if you're visiting a site, and you see either of those things, the site
will have a certificate. Clicking on the icon in the address bar in either
Internet Explorer or Firefox, will bring up a menu from which a certificate can
be viewed.
Internet Explorer
Firefox
Once you do that, a certificate dialogue box will pop up and you can read all
about it. It will tell you the purpose of the certificate, who it's issued to,
who it was issued by and when it expires. (If the site you're on just uses the
"https" method, just double click in the area where the padlock
usually sits. Doing that will bring up the same certificate box for you). For
example, when you purchase something from WorldStart's software store, the
checkout page is secure. If you click the icon in the address bar of that page,
you will be able to see our certificate.
Another way you can view a site's certificate,
is through your browser's menu options. In
Internet Explorer, go to
File,
Properties
In the
Properties
dialog box, click the
Certificates
button.
The same dialogue box will then come up for you.
In
Firefox,
go to
Tools and
select
Page Info
Under the
Security
tab, click on the
View
Certificate
button to see that site's certificate.
That may be an easier way for you to access the certificate information.
Site certificates are mainly put in place to protect users from malicious
attacks and identity theft. For instance, if we here at WorldStart didn't have
a certificate on our checkout page, hackers could get in and steal your credit
card number and any other information they wanted from you. That goes for any
Web site that sells products or asks you for any personal information. It's
very important to check the sites you visit, to see if they're secure or not.
If you don't, you could be putting yourself at risk for big trouble. All you
have to do is glance toward the top or bottom of your browser to make sure it's
protected. I mean, what's a few seconds when it comes to your safety?!
If a Web site has a certificate, that means they have registered their site and
everything has been approved. There are two things that have to be done before
a site is approved. The certificate authority has to make sure the Web address
given matches the address on the certificate, and they have to sign the
certificate, so that it can be recognized as a trusted authority. You can look
for both of those things when you look at a site's certificate as well. So, I'm
sure you're probably wondering how much you can really trust a site's
certificate, right? Well, the trust you have for a site really depends on how
much trust you have for the company you're dealing with, but if all the
information matches up and the date on the certificate is valid, everything
should be just fine. The only other way to be sure, is to call the company
yourself and check on their site regulations. It's your call!
Now, there may be times when you run into a certificate error. That could be
caused by various things, such as the names on the certificates not matching
up, or if the certificate has expired. If an error occurs, you will always have
the opportunity to look over the certificate and you can then either accept it
for good, accept it for that particular visit only or you can choose not to
accept it at all. From there, you can choose whether or not to trust the site.
If you do, you can go about your business, but if you don't, you should refrain
from submitting any personal information. Along with checking on a site's
certificate, you should also read their Privacy Policy. Keeping yourself safe
is the most important thing, and you should do whatever it takes to stay that
way.
So, now that you know all about Web site certificates, you may want to go and
check on some of your favorite sites. Are they secure? Check it out!
Do you have a question for us? Ask it here!
What are those random
letters and words that show up in the subject or at the bottom of many spam
emails?
I get those emails too: a graphic will appear selling some product and at the
top or bottom it looks like a three year-old was attacking the keyboard. Or
you’ll see some random words like “goldfish tinman wart museum tragedy boxcar”.
Makes for interesting beat poetry, but what does it mean?
I’ve heard a few theories about this…
Theory 1
is that bulk mail servers can generate random characters to make each email
different, thus fooling ISP filters.
Theory 2
says that since the advertisement is in the graphic, a graphic without text
might be filtered out.
Theory 3
reasons that some recipients will send a reply asking, “What’s that gibberish
at the bottom of your email?”. This will verify a valid address allowing the
e-spammers to send you more UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email).
Theory 4
claims that it is a secret code known only to the UN, the Illuminati, Aliens,
or the CIA.
The true reason for this, however, is zsvnln zsk dvm ksm a skddc cmisd mim ew
foxtrot greenbean elbow nautical!
If you are one the seven hundred buh-zillion people that have an iPhone, then
you know how many applications there are to download. Apart from the normal
stuff like music and games, you can download things like Kidney Diets, Zoom to
see the Sky kind of stuff, and even an app to do your taxes – right from your
phone. So it should come as no surprise that there are now many applications
for helping you to quit smoking.
To see how legitimate these apps really are, Lorien Abroms and colleagues at
the George Washington University in Washington DC scored how well the 47
quit-smoking apps adhered to the US Public Health Service's 2008 guidelines for
treating tobacco use and dependence. The apps were marked for how well twenty
of the guidelines were covered, were given up to three marks per guideline,
with a possible total score of sixty.
Cathy Backinger and Erik Augustson at the US National Cancer Institute agree
that users and health professionals should not be "overly optimistic"
about smartphone apps, because many have not been tested for their scientific
benefits. For example, 6 per cent of the apps in this study use "hypnosis"
techniques to encourage people to quit smoking. (From your iPhone?)
The scores are in, and on average the apps received a dismal 7.8 out of 60 (I
hope these apps were free). The winner was Quit Smoking - Cold Turkey with 30
points; among the losers that received 0 points was Daily Tracker. Not many
apps even referred the user to recommended treatments, a quit line, clinic or
reaching out to friends and family for support. Like those work, anyway.
You think a smartphone won't help you quit smoking? A friend of mine who smokes
like a train is giving hers up.
Her smartphone, that is. Not her cigarettes.
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