2009/03/03

Basic Tips and tricks for Windows XP

Running Applications in Compatibility Mode
With Windows XP, you can run programs as if though they were being run under a different operating system. (This is known as "emulation".) Simply right-click a shortcut, select "Properties" and then check "Run in compatibility mode" and select the operating system you wish to make the program believe it is being run under. This fools or tricks the program into thinking you are really using a previous version of Windows, such as NT, 2000, 98, or 95.
Type rest of the post here
This is especially useful for certain games that won't run properly. Be careful *not* to use this with certain system utilities, such as antivirus, defrag, registry, and disk tool applications.

Customizing the Start Menu
Right click on the "Start" button and left click "Properties". From here, you can select the new Windows XP style Start Menu, or return to the Windows 2000/Millennium style one. You can also customize the two possible choices using their corresponding "Customize" buttons. This also allows you to turn on or disable cascading menus and other options that are useful, such as large or small icons and more.

Bring Back Those Desktop Icons
After you install Windows XP, you probably noticed that some of your icons from previous versions of Windows you've used are missing. Microsoft did this intentionally to help simply and reduce clutter. Of course, for some people, this isn't the best choice or the user preference. So, if you want those icons like "My Computer" and "My Network Places" back, just open Display Properties (right click Desktop Wallpaper, left click "Properties") and click the "Desktop" tab. Click the "Customize Desktop" button and on the "General" tab check the items you want. You can also change the icons used by these desktop items in the same screen. One final tip related to this screen is the "Clean Desktop Now" button, which notifies you of unused icons on the desktop and offers to remove them if you choose.

Give Me My ClearType
Windows XP includes a great new visual technology, called "ClearType" which increases horizontal legibility by approximately 300% and it looks great. Go back into "Display Properties" [see tip: "Bring Back Those Desktop Icons" for instructions] and this time, go to the "Appearance" tab. Click "Effects" and for the second drop down box, labeled "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts", select "ClearType". Click OK twice and you're all set.

Lock Computer vs. Welcome Login Screen
You must go into Control Panel and open the "User Accounts" applet to change this setting. Click "Change the way users log on or off". For maximum security, uncheck the "Use the Welcome screen" option. This re-enables the use of the "Lock Computer" option from the ALT CTRL DELETE menu, but prevents multiple users from being logged on locally at a single time. This also returns to the Windows 2000 style login screen. If you'd rather have the ability to *not* be able to use "Lock Computer" and would rather allow multiple users to logon to the computer at a single time locally, leave this setting checked and also check "Use Fast User Switching".

http://www.ICTtutorials.vze.com

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2009/03/01

Online Dating Tips


by: Frank Duru
Finding your soul mate online is a wondrous thing; however, there is the potential for danger. While you have access to a wide variety of people, you also have the impending complication of meeting those who are not what they seem to be--there are some tips of the trade, though, to help you become more discerning with your choices. These tips can help you stay safe and stay away from men and women who are not what you’re looking for.

Tip One: Start Slowly. There are all kinds of people on the Love Empire; not all of these people, however, will be right for you. Take your time--if you meet someone and start up a conversation, proceed with discretion. The person at the other end may not be who they claim to be; take your time and watch for inconsistencies or odd behavior. If something bothers you, simply walk away. Do not rush into any relationship without thinking first.

Tip Two: Protect Your Identity. One of the benefits of dating online is that you can get to know someone based solely upon their personality and not deal with the more social conscious real world. It is up to you to decide when and how you reveal who you really are--be careful, however. If someone receives your personal information, they could use it against you. If a member tries to pressure you into giving out your last name, email address, home address, phone number, place of work or any other identifying information, then walk away.

Tip Three: Use Common Sense. When speaking to someone through the Love Empire, do not throw good judgment away simply because this is an online service. What may sound wonderful on the screen can be masking something not so wonderful in reality. Use caution and do not fall in love with the first profile you read. Take your time and go through all of your potential choices. Then, after you’ve researched enough, go from there. It is a common occurrence for people to “fall in love” after only one conversation. Do not do this! Retain your common sense and view online dating as you view real-world dating. You do not have to love every profile you read.

Tip Four: Request A Photo. If you meet someone, chat with them, and see the beginning of a relationship forming, then you might want to request a photo. Often, this can tell you more about the person than any email or instant message. First of all, it can keep them from lying about their looks; secondly, you will know if you’re attracted to them in the physical sense; finally, if they continually refuse to send a photo, there might be a reason other than embarrassment. Proceed carefully.

Tip Five: Pay Attention. This is, possibly, the most important tip you could follow. In an email, any one can sound wonderful--in real life, it’s much more difficult. When you are becoming involved with someone on the Love Empire, watch for ‘red flags’, or odd behavior. For example, if during an online session, your date suddenly becomes angry or aggressive toward you and then, won’t explain why, you should take this into consideration. If one sentence could upset him/her in such a way, it might be cause to worry. Also, pay attention to any attempts to pressure or control you. For instance, if your date is constantly making demeaning comments about you, there is a strong chance that he/she is trying to manipulate you into feeling inferior; therefore, you become an easier target to control. Finally, watch out for inconsistencies with information that your date provides you or evasive answers to questions. If your date displays any of the following problems, it would be well-advised to reconsider your relationship:

1. He/she provides inconsistent information about age, interests, appearance, marital status, profession, employment, etc.
2. He/she refuses to speak to you on the phone after you have established an
3. online relationship; or, he/she will only speak on a strangely specific
4. timeframe.
5. He/she will not answer any direct questions about themselves. They will
6. either give you a vague answer or will simply turn the question back to you.
7. He/she will only provide photos of large groups of people, making it
8. impossible for you to find them.

Online dating can be an exciting and fulfilling part of your life; just remember
to follow these tips and act accordingly.


About the author:
Frank Duru is the author of many different articles. His
works concentrate much on dating related information, such as
"African Dating - Pride and Ambition", “Religious Dating - Traditions and Values” The list goes on! Click here to visit his site loveempire.net.
Find more interracial and Dating related articles there

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2009/02/28

Home Based Business Scams - Tips on Avoiding Them


by: Kevin Erickson
Maybe the reason you're interested in setting up a home business is because you've seen an ad that perked your interest or you were approached by a friend or colleague about a great home business money-making opportunity and those entrepreneurial juices started to flow. Your imagination starts to flow and dreams of quitting your job fill your every thought.

Hello, hey, ok... time to stop dreaming. I hate to burst your bubble or stop your fantasy ride but before you give your boss a piece of your mind there's a few things you need to consider.

First, you need to realize that probably 99% of all home business / work from home offers out there are flat out scams. After all, if it was that easy to pay a few dollars and make thousands, wouldn't everyone be doing it by now and why tell you about it?

Below I've listed and briefly discussed how to recognize and avoid a few of the biggest scams out there.

Location… Location… Location
Check out every offer and assume it's a scam until you have iron-clad proof that it's not. A few things to consider are: Where did you see that work from home offer? If you got it by traditional mail or by email or saw it on a poster taped around a telephone pole, then I can guarantee you right now that it's not a legitimate offer. On the other hand, if you saw the ad in a newspaper, in a jobs magazine or on a jobs website, then it's a little more likely to be legit - but not necessarily.

Envelope Stuffing
Will this scam ever end? Well, not until people stop falling for it. This is the most established work-from-home scam of all time and it's been going on for what seems like forever now. How it works is that once you pay your money and sign up to work from home, you are sent a set of envelopes and ads just like the one you responded to. The whole idea is to simply get names of people who are interested in home business ops and get a quick buck. You could make a little money if you mail to the right mailing list but don't count it. Work from home offers like this are simply illegal pyramid schemes. You will not make money putting letters into envelopes - so get over it and move on!

Shoddy Supplies
The practice of charging for supplies is hard to pin down to any one scam - it's a common most work-at-home scams work (including the envelope stuffing scam mentioned above). You'll be asked to make a minimal "investment" for whatever materials will be needed to do the work and then you'll receive a collection of very shoddy materials that are worth a fraction of what you paid for them and last but not least you'll soon realize that there was never a market for work anyway.

Don't walk - run… if anyone asks for money upfront. Any company worth it's salt would be willing to deduct any "fees" from your first paycheck. Any company not willing to do that, is in all likely-hood simply out to scam you into giving them some upfront money and then as the saying goes… "leaving dodge" as quickly as possible.

Working for Free
This variation on the scam is common with crafts. You might be asked to work from home making clothes, ornaments or toys. Everything appears to be legitimate - you received materials without paying any money and you're doing the work. Unfortunately for you, when you send the work back, the company will tell you that it didn't meet their "quality standards" and will refuse to pay you. They will then sell what you've provided and move on to the next sucker.

Never do craft type work from home unless you're selling the items yourself. Remember, you don't need to restrict your sales to consumers only… you could also be selling to wholesalers. The bottom line is this, you need to be the one deciding what you make and then collect the money yourself.

Medical Billing, Typing From Home and More
Many work-from-home scams involve persuading you that some industry has more work to do than it can handle and so it has to outsource to people like you, working from home. For example, you might be told that you'll be typing legal documents or entering medical bills into an electronic database. These scams have one thing in common - they all say that all you need is a computer and they go on to explain that all you need to do to make big bucks is to buy some "special software".

The software is package so it appears to be from a completely unrelated company, but don't be fooled - the whole purpose behind this so-called opportunity is to simply sell you the over-priced and worthless software. And of course, once you open and load the software on your computer you will never get your money back because that's how all software guarantees work. Once you break the seal you own it.

Starting your own home based business is a dream that millions of people have and it's a legitimate and worthy endeavor. Unfortunately, the crooks out there know this and they play on these desires and so you need to be very cautious. And remember, starting a home business that involves "working" for another company isn't the best idea even if they offer a completely legitimate opportunity. The reason is because even if they do pay you for your work, you still won't earn anywhere near the income could if you were to start a home-based business where you created your own product or service. So why even bother with these outside companies at all?

About the author:
Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer for: Home Business and Bad Credit Mortgage and Forex Trading Systems. This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

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