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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Monday, February 25, 2002
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Keep Your Computer Cool
Featured Computer Term: Sound Recorder
This Week's Topic: Sending Links in Emails
Question: Viewing Hard to Read Websites
Learning Series: Indenting a Paragraph
Featured Websites: Black History Month, Read Across America Day, Responsible
Pet Owner Month
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Special Feature: Keep Your Computer Cool
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to prolong the life of your computer is to make sure that it stays cool. Windows is a very Central Processing Unit (CPU) - intensive operating system, and adding any extra heat just makes things worse.
New computers have a CPU fan already built in that does a great job of keeping the computer cool. Always make sure that your computer has plenty of air flowing around it, and that nothing is blocking the cooling fan in the back.
Heat is one of your computer's worst enemies--next to a spilled cup of coffee or a nosy dog that sheds a lot.
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Today's Computer Term: Sound Recorder
The following is a question from a newsletter subscriber:
I have a program called Sound Recorder on my computer. Do you know what this is?
Answer:
With the Sound Recorder you can record your own sounds directly to a file. For example, using Sound Recorder, you can send a personalized email with a voice message.
The Windows Sound Recorder program is located in Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment or Multimedia. Click the Start button, point to Programs, then Accessories, then Entertainment or Multimedia, (depending on your version of Windows).
Use the buttons just like you would on a tape recorder, talk into your microphone, save the file and then attach it to an email.
Try it out -it’s lots of fun!
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Today's Topic: Sending Links in Emails
Thanks to newsletter subscriber Irene for the following question:
How do I send a few of my "favorite sites" to a friend in an email?
Answer:
Using America Online, when you're looking at a Website, take a look at the top of the window -there's a heart there.
Click on the heart and a little menu comes up; one of the choices is Insert in Mail. When you click on that, it will open up a new email. In the new email window just type in the email address of the person who you're sending to, type your message and that's it!
For other email programs, simply type in the Website address, i.e. http://www.whatever.com, right into the email.
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This Week's Featured Question: Viewing Hard to Read Websites
The following is a question from a newsletter subscriber:
Very frequently I seem to visit websites where the background is so dark that I can’t read the text. Is there something that can be done about this?
Answer:
We’ve probably all encountered a Web page where text is difficult to read because of a dark background, or because of a particular color of text chosen by the site's designer. Next time you encounter such a situation, use Ctrl + A to highlight the entire page (hold down the ctrl key, press and release a, then release ctrl).
This should turn both background and text a different color and make the Web page at least readable.
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works
Indenting a Paragraph
This tip applies to both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works.
Using the toolbar, you can quickly and easily indent a paragraph to the next tab stop for that paragraph. If there are no tab stops set for the paragraph, then it will be indented to the next default tab stop (usually 1/2 inch). To indent a paragraph to the next tab stop, follow these steps:
1. Make sure the insertion point is in the paragraph that you want to indent, or that you have selected text in all the paragraphs you wish to indent the same.
2. Click on the Increase Indent tool on the Formatting Toolbar.
Creating a Hanging Indent
Hanging indent is the typographical term for a paragraph in which the first line is not indented, but subsequent lines in the paragraph are. To create a hanging indent in Word, use the following steps:
1. Position the insertion point in the paragraph in which you want the hanging indent.
2. Choose Paragraph from the Format menu. You will see the Paragraph dialog box.
3. In the Special drop-down list, choose Hanging. The By field changes to a value, most often one-half inch.
4. Adjust the By field to indicate how much you want each line in the paragraph (except the first) indented.
5. Click on OK.
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Today's Featured Website:
Black History Month February is Black History Month. The Infoplease Alamanac website includes history and timelines, quizzes, and more.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhm1.html
For articles, quizzes, a poll, and a suggested reading list for kids, visit Familyeducation.com: Black History Month.
http://www.familyeducation.com/topic/front/0,1156,1-4818,00.html?yah
Encyclopaedia Britannica: Guide to Black History examines nearly 400 years of African-American history through five distinct time periods, from the
struggles of slavery through the successes of the Civil Rights Movement.
http://blackhistory.eb.com/
The Johnson Space Center website highlights the achievements of
African-Americans at NASA.
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/pao/black_history/
Read Across America Day
March 2 is Read Across America day. Read Across America is a program that would like to have every child in every school across the U.S. read with an adult on March 2, 2001. To learn more about this, take a look at their website.
http://www.nea.org/readacross/
Responsible Pet Owner Month
February is Responsible Pet Owner Month. Take a look at the ASPCA site for more information on the care of your pet.
http://www.aspca.org/ |
