Internet Tips April 2006

Blocky Text On LCD

LCDs (liquid-crystal displays) are great alternatives to CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors in many ways, but they do make text look computerized. To make the on-screen text easier to read, enable Microsoft s ClearType, a feature that s bundled with WinXP. If you want to use the basic version, which works fine in most cases, right-click the Desktop, click Properties, choose the Appearance tab, and click Effects. Select the checkbox next to Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts and then select ClearType from the drop-down menu. If you want total control, use the online configuration utility at: www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype

Easy Read

EASY READ adds a + and - button to your MS Internet Explorer toolbar for a quick adjustment to text size. Great for vision problems particularly, works with Windows 2000, XP, ME, and NT, and download free. http://www.iconico.com/easyRead/

Get Rid Of Adware & Spyware

If you want to rid your computer of spyware and adware, Microsoft’s Windows AntiSpyware (free beta; www.microsoft.com/athome/security ) is an excellent choice, but it’s still in beta testing, so all of its features are not complete yet. We also highly recommend Ad-Aware SE Personal (free; www.lavasoft.com ), SpywareBlaster (free; www.javacoolsoftware.com ), and Spybot Search & Destroy (free; www.safer-networking.org ), which can all be used together to remove spyware and adware from your computer and prevent these programs from infiltrating your system in the first place.

Hooking a printer to a wireless network is a snap

Here are three suggestions:

1. The easiest way, is to hook the printer to one of the computers. After installing the printer, click Start>>Printers and Faxes. Right-click the printer and click Sharing. On the Sharing tab, select "Share this printer." If the Share Name box is empty, use the name in the Printer and Faxes window. The computer must be on to make the printer available. You might have to mess with the firewall to make it work.

2. If you're using a switch or hub, cable the printer to it. You can use a USB or parallel cable.

3. Use a wireless print server. A number of companies make these gizmos. They run about $100. Run a cable from the printer to the print server. The print server connects to the access point wirelessly.

Keep your comforts on the open road

Q. I quit; you can take this job and shove it! Next year my wife and I will quit our jobs, sell our house, buy a motor home, and spend the rest of our natural lives driving around this beautiful country. I have heard no good solutions to the timely communications problem. Can you recommend a cell phone company with continuous coast-to-coast coverage and a method of connecting our laptop with uninterrupted internet access? Can we somehow patch through the roof-mounted television dish antenna for improved reception?

A. There are quite a few individuals and families actually living in their motor homes. They're typically referred to as fulltimers. That distinguishes them from run-of-the-mill campers

Some fulltimers enjoy the freedom from technology and information overload. They casually use the Internet in Wi-Fi hotspots at truck stops and RV-friendly campgrounds. But others want constant connectivity. So you're not alone in your communication quandary

Unfortunately, uninterrupted coast-to-coast cell phone coverage has yet to be realized. Some low-population areas, particularly in the Midwest, are neglected by wireless networks. The demand may not be enough to recoup the cost of providing service. Yet these are treasured areas of fulltimers

Nevertheless, wireless cellular networks provide convenient Internet access. They're also better for connections while you're on the move. Recent innovations give you an Internet connection anywhere you can use your cell phone. You don't have to be in a Wi-Fi hotspot. So you don't have to drive right through metropolitan areas for access. But you will eventually encounter areas without a signal

Verizon Wireless provides Internet access over its network using special PC cards. However, the service is available only to Verizon cell phone customers and adds $59.99 to your bill each month. Cingular offers a similar plan for $79.99 per month. In neither case is there a charge for minutes. Sprint and T-Mobile will be hammering out their services in the next few months.

Another option is satellite Internet access. Satellite access is the closest you can get to uninterrupted nationwide coverage. But mobile satellite access can be very expensive. The cost to equip a mobile home with a dish typically starts at $5,000. The cost of Internet access is then about $100 per month. Providers include Ground Control, Internet Anywhere and OptiStreams, with virtually the same pricing.

You can't use a TV satellite dish for Internet access. Or, at least, the satellite Internet providers do not allow it. So if you're seeking someone to modify your current equipment, you're on your own.

Still, you may be able to save by using discount services such as Mobile Internet and 3iCommunications. These services essentially give you a satellite dish on a tripod. And you must learn to aim the dish toward the satellite signal yourself. If you're willing to put in the effort, you could save almost $3,000 on the equipment. The monthly fees are also less expensive. For example, Mobile Internet's service runs about $60 per month.

Keeping the right time

Let's start with Windows XP. It includes a utility that sets the time. To access the utility, click Start>Control Panel. Double-click Date and Time. In the Date and Time Properties window, select the Internet Time tab. Check "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server." That will synchronize the clock weekly. It works best with an always-on broadband connection.

If you have a dial-up connection, automatic synchronization might not always work. Solve that by using the Update Now button.

Windows 98 and ME do not have a time utility. But you can download Atomic Clock Sync from World Time Server.com. It's free and works well: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/

You can set Atomic Clock Sync to update your computer clock daily. Or you can run it manually. World Time Server promises that no spyware will accompany the Atomic Clock Sync download.

If you continue to have time problems, your computer battery may be bad. The clock runs off the battery. This problem is especially likely in a Windows 98 machine, which is probably several years old. The battery is located on the motherboard. Some snap in and out, and are easy to replace. If the battery is soldered in, I would take it to a computer shop.

MEANING OF SLASHES

Ever wonder why you sometimes need to use a a forward slash (/) and other times a back slash (\)? Forward slashes tell your computer you're looking for something external to your system, like Web pages. Backslashes tell your computer you're looking for something inside your system, like a drive or a file.