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Internet Tips

Printing Internet Explorer Favorites

Many people have asked me how to print their Internet Favorites. If you are like me and have hundreds of bookmarks or favorites, you might go through a ream of paper printing them. It is more efficient to back them up as I describe in this tip.

If you really want to print them, here are the steps:

1. From Internet Explorer, choose "File" – "Import and Export".
2. Click Next
3. Select Export Favorites and click Next.
4. Make sure the Favorites folder is selected, and click Next.
5. Select Export to a File or Address.
6. Click the Browse button and choose the Desktop
7. Click Finish
8. Click OK
9. Close all windows and double-click on the bookmarks file that is on your desktop.
10. Click File –> Print
11. When the Print box appears, click the Options tab.
12. Check Print table of links box (important step).
13. Click the General tab
14. Click Print (and have plenty of paper)

Google News Alerts

We talk frequently of the new and useful tools that Google offers. One of the best is the Google News service. Google uses their powerful search technology to bring you news stories from many angles. If you really are a news junkie, you can use Google Alerts and RSS to get those news stories routed to your email or customized portal page like My Yahoo or even Google’s cutomizable home page.

To use the Google Alerts or RSS feeds, simply search for a topic at Google News, then click on the "News Alert" link on the left side of the page or the the RSS feed button. Take some time to really look around Google News…you won’t be disappointed. 

RSS – Really Simple Syndication

RSS has been around for quite a few years already, but we have not brought it up as an official tip. We purposefully held off because we wanted the technology to mature and for the technology to truly become usable. We also delayed the idea a little until we perfected how we were going to offer this exciting web technology on our site.

This week, we just want to introduce you to the topic and then next week give you the step-by-step on how to best utilize RSS. RSS, originally developed by Netscape, stands for Rich Site Summary. Somewhere along the line, the acronym became more commonly known as Really Simple Syndication.

RSS allows web site owners to ‘share’ their content (articles, tips, pictures, audio, video, etc) with other sites or users. Instead of having to physically go to our site, for example, to see what is new on a given day, you could use RSS to check on the headlines from our site. The headlines would link you back to the site where you could read the entire article. Customizable portal pages like Yahoo, Google and MSN offer will let you add any RSS content to the page as well. Think of RSS as being able to truly customize and instantly receive the exact information and entertainment that fits you. No more schlepping through other people’s content, you can create your own!

For those of you who crave more in depth information and history of RSS, please refer to these two sites:

Wikipedia -RSS
History of RSS

Next week, we will teach you how to look for, compile and utilize RSS content or what are known as ‘feeds’.

Choose local Internet providers for DSL

No one likes to sit on hold waiting for ‘customer support’. DSL high speed Internet is growing rapidly because of increased availability from the phone companies and it is inexpensive. However, many computer users choose to get the service through the phone company (which in turn is provided by big guys like MSN or AOL) or they choose to upgrade their dial-up service with their existing large national Internet provider.

DSL offers the opportunity to cut the ties with the large national chains and get your Internet provided by your local Internet company. Part of DSL monies still go to the phone company, but technical support is handled by your local provider. Local DSL providers offer some distinct advantages:

Shareware and Freeware – March 2006

We haven’t covered this topic since 1999!

Shareware is software that you can "try before you buy". The developer usually provides the program for free of charge with either some features disabled or a time limit on how long the product can be used. To unlock all the features or use the program past its expiration date, you must pay for a registration number. This type of marketing works quite well for developers who make good products.

Freeware is software that you can use for no cost at all. Developers providing this software usually create the program to either fill a niche or jus practice creating new programs.

Programs by small developers can be found for almost any purpose you need. Everything from organizing pictures to creating labels and from recording music to changing wallpaper. The only places I recommend hunting for and downloading freeware and shareware are:

Download.com
Tucows.com
Nonags.com
Palm Gear (for Palm Pilot users)

Successful Searching of the Internet

All too often I hear comments like "I can’t find anything on the Internet" or "I’m afraid of getting viruses from the Internet" or "Where do I start". In today’s meetings, we discussed some tried and true methods of searching the Internet successfully and easily.

Google is the current king of web searching and should be your first stop to start any search.

Boolean searching is probably the single best methodology to learn to improve your searching skills. Here’s how it works in a nutshell:

10 Things you can do with Broadband Internet

Thanks to lower prices and increased availability, broadband (high speed) Internet is starting to over take dial-up services in the United States. Dial-up Internet served us well for the first 10 years of the Internet, but to really take advantage of the Internet today, a broadband connection is a must.

Here are 10 things that you can do with a high speed connection today that you can’t do (as easily) with a dial-up service:

  1. Keep up to date with Windows and Internet security updates automatically
  2. Google Earth
  3. Download music (legally) at sites like Napster, iTunes, and Rhapsody
  4. Receive and make phone calls while on the Internet…without an extra line!
  5. Watch online news or information videos or listen to online music or news casts without waiting and without the choppiness and stuttering of a dial-up connection
  6. I know many people don’t think that speed matters…but with broadband, the Internet becomes much more of a resource tool than a novelty.
  7. Upload pictures to printing services to either be picked up or mailed to you.
  8. Watch movie trailers
  9. Save time…you can do four times as much research or work with a broadband connection in half the time.
  10. Make free or extremely inexpensive phone calls and video phone calls.

Admittedly, many of these functions can be carried out with a dial-up connection, but studies and my experience have shown that people don’t do these things. The reason? Time. For example, a broadband user can download a song in under 3 minutes. The same song takes nearly 25 minutes with a dial-up connection. Services like Google Earth can take up to 10 or more minutes to start with dial-up.

Remember to Logout from Financial Sites

Millions of computer users now bank and trade online. The convenience of online banking and trading is not disputed, but some still wonder about safety. All large banking institutions take the time and effort to shore up security from their end to protect you and your transactions. They also know that if they don’t provide the best in security that they won’t be in business very long.

 However, no matter how safe our banking and trading institutions make the process, we computer users still have some responsibility as well. To insure your safety online when performing financial transactions, follow these steps:

WARNING! Your Internet connection is not optimized!

Banner ads are a real and somewhat necessary part of our Internet world. You see banner ads at the top of nearly every Web site you visit. 

In the past year, one particular ad seems to pop up more frequently than others. It reads something like this:

WARNING! Your Internet connection is not optimized. Click Here to boost your Internet speed!

The ad cleverly (some people say deceptively) resembles a Window’s warning box and thus looks legit. However, the warning is simply an advertisement. 

Don’t fall prey to it. Clicking on the ad will lead you to their web site where you will be asked to lay out $30. If you actually see any gains in speed, they will be negligible and intermittent.