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External Hard Drive For Backups
"I'm planning to buy an external hard drive to use for backups. What hardware and software do you recommend for reliable and simple backups?"...
Fax Broadcasting
"I need to send a weekly fax update to a large group of people. It's tedious to stand at the fax machine and enter each number. Is there software that can do this for me?"...
Print to File
"Often I compose a letter in Word, then paste the text into an email. But all the formatting (and sometimes images) are lost when my friends view it. Can I somehow capture in a file, exactly what WOULD appear on...
Geekly Update October 13
Here's your Geekly Update for the week of October 13th, presented in small bytes. Get the scoop on gadgets & hardware, computer security, online happenings, social networking, web tech and search engines. Read on......
Finding Lyrics
I've heard that when a song gets stuck in your head, it's because your brain is trying to remember the words. So where do you go when you just have to have the lyrics to that song that's driving you...
File Sharing Student Fined $675K
Joel Tenenbaum is a grad student at Boston University who was sued by the Recording Industry Association of America for activities on file sharing sites. Tenenbaum was found guilty and has been ordered to pay damages to RIAA in the...
How to Hide Your IP Address
"I'm concerned about my online privacy, so I want to hide my IP address. How can I do this?"...
Is Privacy History?
What information about you is publicly available on the Web? In the past, only government agencies and businesses with a 'need to know' were able to access personal information. Today, Internet search engines allow almost anyone to find information about...
What is Google Sky?
Google Sky is a virtual planetarium that is a part of the Google Earth software, which allows you to explore the cosmos from the comfort of your own PC. Read on to learn what you can discover with this and...
Fast Color Laser Printers
"I'm looking for a color laser printer that's reliable and fast. A price tag under $500 would be nice... what do you recommend?"...
Top Ten Sites for Homeschoolers
"I've read your articles about the best sites for public school students. But my children are young and I'm considering home schooling for them. Can you recommend any sites with good resources for homeschooling families?"...
Sharing A Hard Drive Online
"I have photos, MP3s and some Word documents on my hard drive. How can I share my hard drive online so that just certain people can access my files? My colleagues have Internet access but we do not share a...
Top 10 Sites for Students
It’s back-to-school time again... parents breathe a sigh of relief and students groan under the load of spiffy new backpacks. Of course you want to help you child succeed in school, so here are some sites that will inspire kids...
Which Printer Should I Buy?
At first glance, an inkjet printer may seem appealing because of its relatively low price tag compared to laser printers. Even though the ink cartridges often cost nearly as much as the printer, it still might make sense to buy...
Dual Monitors
Did you ever wish you had a REALLY big computer screen? Here's a tip... use a dual monitor (or multi monitor) setup to extend your desktop across two or more screens. Both Windows and Mac computers have the ability to...
Voice Recognition
Didja ever notice that Captain Kirk never had to fuss with a mouse or keyboard to communicate with the computer on the Star Trek? He simply spoke direct commands at the machine, and the computer complied. Happily, voice recognition technology...
Switching From Windows to Mac
Devoted fans of Macs and PCs have been in heated debate for years, even before those "I'm a Mac", "I'm a PC" commercials ever appeared. Let's set aside the question of which camp is "right" and focus on the reasons...
Phishing Scams
"I got a note from my bank about phishing scams, but I'm still not sure what it means. Can you explain in simple terms what phishing is all about?"...
Online Shopping
Have you experienced the frustration of making a purchase, only to find that very same item offered somewhere else at a lower price? Smart shoppers can eliminate this problem by using online comparison shopping tools and coupon finders before the...
Medical Advice Online
"There's a lot of medical information online, but I'm not sure what to trust. Where can I go to learn more about various drugs and medical conditions? I want information from real doctors, not some guy selling miracle cures."...
Download With Bittorrent?
"I've been told that I can download movies and even popular software for free using Bittorrent. Sounds too good to be true… What exactly is Bittorrent, is it legal, and safe to use?"...
Is Genuine Advantage Spyware?
"I read in another newsletter that Microsoft's Genuine Advantage for Windows is spyware. Microsoft seems to be forcing it on me every time I try to update my system. Is Microsoft trying to poke into our private files with spyware?"...
Spam Blocker
"I'm having a terrible time with spam emails. Suddenly I started getting dozens per day, and I can't seem to get rid of them. Is there a spam blocker or spam filter that's easy and just works?"...
Recovery Console
"I'm having trouble starting up my Windows XP system. A friend told me to run the Recovery Console from the bootup screen, and then enter some commands. But I don't see a Recovery Console option when I turn on the...
Is Google Desktop Evil?
"I got a warning from a friend who told me not to use the Google Desktop program. He says it will secretly make copies of my personal files and send them to Google's own servers, and from there they could...
Convert iTunes to MP3 Format
"I've purchased a bunch of music from iTunes and have enjoyed listening to them on my computer. But my portable music player is not an Apple iPod, so I can't take my songs with me. Is there any way I...
Computer Humor
"Every day I get the same lame jokes in my email that have been making the rounds for years. Are there some websites you can recommend for really good computer humor?"...
Wireless Security
"Is it safe to use wireless Internet access in my home? I've heard that neighbors or even people driving by can tap in to my wireless signal. There must be a way to do it safely, since it's so common...
Create Currency Quickly
If you've been online for more than an hour, you've probably gotten one of those "PHENOMENAL MONEY MAKING PROGRAMS" that promise to make you 50 thousand dollars richer in short order. It's the classic David Rhodes "Make Money Fast" scheme,...
Internet Innovators: Dave Taylor
Back in 1995-96 I worked for BoardWatch Magazine, covering the world of Bulletin Board Systems and the fledgling Internet. One of my favorite parts of that job was interviewing prominent netizens of the day. Some may boast about being self-made...
Saving Word Files as HTML
"When I use the 'Save As' feature in Microsoft Word to save a document as a web page, the resulting HTML is a bloated mess. Is all that formatting stuff really needed? If not, is there a way to get...
Worst Problem on the Net: Stupid Users
According to a survey conducted at the Aunty Spam site, the worst problem on the Internet is stupid users. More than 600 respondents chose from among spam, spyware, phishing, identity theft, hacking, viruses, stupid users, and lost emails....
Email Sent Multiple Times
"Bob, When I send a large attachment, it keeps on resending to the recipients several times. Can you explain to me why this happens? If I notice it is sending more then once sometimes I can delete the email from...
Only One Letter in Title Bar
Both my IE title bar and Windows Explorer title bar display only one letter. For example the present site that I am typing this at shows the letter "A" and that's all. It should probably say "Ask Bob Rankin" This...
Should I upgrade to Windows XP x64?
Recently my partner in crime Patrick Crispen answered this question in a Tourbus newsletter posting. Here's what he had to say: You may have heard about a new version of Windows XP - Windows XP Professional x64 Edition - that...
What is ASCII Art?
Have you heard the term "ASCII art" and wondered what that's all about? Long before the advent of the Web and all of its glittering graphics, people were creating computer graphics of a different sort that required no special hardware...
How can I avoid computer viruses?
When I wrote in a previous entry "Do I need anti-virus software?" that "You CANNOT get a virus just by opening or reading your email" I fully expected it would unleash a torrent of emails in response. I knew this...
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