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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, April 10, 2005
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Malicious BHOs
Tips & Tricks: Select a Block of Text
Featured Computer Term: Website Redirect
This Week's Topic: Arranging Desktop Icons
Question: Slow Cable Connection
Question: Check Email Away From Home
Websites of Interest: Thomas Jefferson; April 15th – Income Tax Day; You Grow Girl; Virtual Fish Tank
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Special Feature: Malicious BHOs
A BHO, or Browser Helper Object, is a little program that attaches itself to your browser as an add-on tool. Once installed, a good BHO can provide convenience and nice tools. An example of a good BHO is the Google search bar, which helps your browser search and performs other useful functions. Malicious BHOs work like spyware – sending your personal information back to the initiator of the program. MyWeb Search is an example of a bad BHO.
Malicious BHOs can get into your computer various ways. You may have downloaded what looked like a good web tool or program. It may have a few nice functions but is actually sending information about your web surfing habits back to the initiator. Internet Pop Up windows can also add BHOs to your computer.
With all the BHOs out there, it is hard to know which are good and which are selling you out. To protect the security of your computer and your personal information, a BHO scanning program should be installed on your computer. This is a program that runs in the background and keeps tabs on any BHO that is installed on your computer with or without your knowledge.
PC World Magazine recommends BHO Demon. This is a scanner program that will list all the BHOs installed on your computer, tell you which are good or bad, and allow you to quickly remove any malicious ones. This is a free program that can be downloaded from the PC World website. For more information, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/3v7ue
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Tips & Tricks: Select a Block of Text
If you do not like dragging the mouse to highlight text, try this trick:
Click before the first word you would like to select. Now, point the mouse after the last word you want to select. Hold down the Shift key and click. All the words in that block will be highlighted.
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Featured Computer Term: Website Redirect
I have many websites in my Favorites that I visit regularly. On several occasions, I have gotten a message that said the address changed or it told me I was being sent to a different address. I’ve read a little about fraudulent websites – is this what is happening?
Answer:
No, what you are seeing is a change of a Website’s location or address. This happens pretty frequently. They are called redirects. Companies change to a new URL (website address). They keep the old address available so when someone visits, they are redirected to the new site.
Be sure to update your bookmark when you get to the new page.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of?
Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its
definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: Arranging Desktop Icons
Question: My icons are scattered all over the desktop and I want them lined up. Is there a quick way do this?
Answer:
Right-click on a blank spot on the Desktop. In the resulting menu, point to Arrange Icons. You will see a sub-menu with icon arrangement options.
Click Auto Arrange and all the icons will be lined up on the left side of the desktop. If you want to be able to move icons all over, open the menu again and click Auto Arrange to unselect it. You will now be able to drag your icons wherever you want on the desktop.
Open the menu again and click Align to Grid. You will still be able to move the icons but they will stay in neat columns and rows.
Icons can be displayed in alphabetically order. Open the menu and click Name. They can also be displayed in order by their size, the type of icon and the last time used (modified)
Make sure you don’t click on Show Desktop Icons by mistake. That will remove the checkmark and all the icons will disappear. If this does happen, just right click on the desktop, point to Arrange Icons and click on Show Desktop Icons.
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Question: Slow Cable Connection
I use Optimum Online to get on the Internet. Sometimes the connection is very slow. Is there anything I can do to speed things up?
Answer:
If this is something that is not happening all the time, you can try rebooting the modem.
Turn the computer off, unplug the modem and wait about 15 seconds. Plug the modem back in and turn on the computer.
This may solve the problem. If, however, the slowdowns continue, you should contact Optimum Online to check if there are problems with the modem or cables.
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Question: Check Email Away From Home
I am going to be doing some traveling. I will have access to a Web-connected computer but not my own. Will I be able to check my email?
Answer:
Yes, you will. If you use America Online, go to the AOL website – aol.com. Input your screen name and password and you can read and send email. For web email, such as Yahoo, Hotmail or Lycos, go to the website – yahoo.com, hotmail.com and input your email address and password.
For optimum online or other emails, go to mail2web.com. Input your email address and password.
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Thank you for reading our newsletter. We hope you enjoy it. We welcome any comments or suggestions you may have.
info@computerkindergarten.com
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Websites of Interest:
Thomas Jefferson
April 13th is Thomas Jefferson's Birthday. Learn more about him, his home at Monticello, his writings and more, at these websites:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html
http://www.monticello.org/
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/
April 15th – Income Tax Day
Tuesday is Income Tax Day
For forms, information, last minute help and more, visit the IRS website.
http://www.irs.gov/
The Post office has a special website set up with lots of information pertaining to tax day - to help you find your local post office where you can mail your tax return, how much it will cost you to mail your returns and more.
http://www.usps.com/tax
This website provides information on the history of U.S. taxation, including a collection of presidential tax returns.
http://www.taxhistory.org/
The Tax Museum - A very interesting website giving information on American history dating back to 1660 and how the taxation process evolved.
http://www.tax.org/Museum
You Grow Girl
A fun gardening site for unconventional gardeners
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/
Virtual Fish Tank
Like Fish, but don't want the upkeep? Keep your aquarium online.
http://www.virtualfishtank.com/ |
