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AOL LLC has finally pulled the plug on Netscape Navigator, the Web browser that once owned the lion’s share of the market and that was the focus of a landmark federal antitrust case against Microsoft Corp.
In an announcement posted to AOL’s website, the company said it ending development and would cease issuing security updates as of Feb. 1, 2008.
AOL said all support would end in just over a month and urged current Netscape users to migrate to Mozilla’s Firefox.
These Quick Key Combination Make Office Work Harder For You
Ctrl Z is the magic undo combo. It simply undoes your last action, say, the paragraph you accidentally erased (it works in other applications, too).
Programs vary in the number of times you can undo something, but some will let you Ctrl Z all the way back to the beginning. (And, yes, there is a redo command, just hit Ctrl Y.)
Ctrl B, Ctrl I, or Ctrl U apply bold, italics, or underline to highlighted text, respectively.
Ctrl P prints whatever is in an active window.
Ctrl Backspace erases an entire word at a time, instead of a letter.
Ctrl up or down arrows let you scroll an entire paragraph at a time, instead of one line, and Ctrl Shift up or down arrow will select an entire paragraph.
Ctrl Enter inserts a page break in Word.
Alt Ctrl C inserts the copyright symbol (Alt Ctrl R inserts the registered trademark symbol, and Alt Ctrl T makes the trademark symbol).
In Outlook, you can jump to the section you want: Ctrl 1 switches to the Mail window, Ctrl 2 switches to the Calender, Ctrl 3 to Contacts, Ctrl 4 to Tasks, and Ctrl 5 to Notes.
Ctrl Shift M starts a new message in Outlook. (Use Ctrl Shift C for a new contact.)
In Outlook e-mail, hit Ctrl N to compose a new message, Ctrl R to reply to a message.
In Microsoft Excel, you can select the entire column by pressing CTRL SPACEBAR, and select the entire row with SHIFT SPACEBAR.
Here’s our high-tech suggestions for the hard to buy for person on your list
It’s that time of year again. The time to spread peace, joy, and good will; the time to soak up the seasonal cheer; and the time to buy cool gadgets and devices for your company, your colleagues, your customers, your loved ones, and maybe even yourself.
These days, there is so much stuff out there that it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices. So, in the spirit of the holidays, we’ve looked high and low for the best gifts, gadgets, and goodies.
So, whether you’re looking to make communications smoother, boost personal productivity, make travel easier, deck out the company car, upgrade your workspace, or go green, there’s a gift for you in here somewhere.
Casio USB Label Mouse Printer, $29.95
The Casio USB Label Mouse Printer’s organizational beauty is that you can use it to print out thermal labels — directly from the mouse itself.
Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse, $145
The sleek MX Air from Logitech may sport a hefty price tag, but look at it this way, you don’t need a desk! It’s got a 30-foot range (which makes it great for presentations), and built-in volume controls.
Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, $99
Want to go old-school without getting archaic? The G9 Laser was designed for gamers, which means it’s all about not getting repetitive strain injury (RSI). Even if you’re using it to take over the real world rather than the World of Warcraft, this is still a safe option for maneuvering through your workday.
iRobot Red Vacuuming Robot, $149.99
The iRobot Roomba Red Vacuuming Robot detects dirt, can handle hardwood or carpet, won’t fall down the stairs, and is a breeze to turn on and let loose at the end of the day. It’ll even find its way back to its charger when the office is clean.
iTouchless Stainless Steel Hands-Free Infrared Trash Can, $99
Why use your foot, or your fingers, to toss out the trash. Keep your hands clean, and your office smelling cleaner, with this 13-gallon gadget. It uses infrared technology to automatically open the lid whenever a hand or trash passes within 6 inches.
USB Tape Dispenser Hub, $14.99
Running out of plug-in slots on your laptop or desktop? How about space on your desk for analog stuff that computers still can’t replace — like good old fashioned transparent tape? This gadget solves both those problems by combining a tape dispenser with a four-port USB hub.
WildCharger charging pads, $34.99 – 89.99
The WildCharger charging pad eliminates the need for power cords. Just get the right adaptor for your cell phone or iPod and place it on the pad to get it juiced up and ready to go.
Iomega Ego portable hard drive, $199.45
Back up your files and take them with you with this cool portable external hard drive, the Iomega Ego. It stores up to 250gb and fits nicely into a laptop bag or even a coat pocket.
Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link, $299
A great option for that special someone who wants to be connected and go wireless. The Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link uses two separate frequencies to help boost bandwidth.
Apple iPhone, $399
The iPhone simply is the gadget this year. Wi-Fi Internet access, instant messaging, brilliant color display, e-mail, touch screen, and, of course, all the music you need while you browse the Web or build a proposal on the run.
Nokia N95, $699, Nokia E61i Smartphone, $389
In a year that has brought us more than just a few amazing phone-like devices, the Nokia 95 gives you DVD-quality images, plus a GPS-powered, location-based search function (helpful on business trips and sales calls), a 5-megapixel camera, wireless connectivity to your PC, and so much more. At half the cost, the E61i Smartphone is a worthy alternative.
If you hate handing over a chunk of money to Uncle Sam every year (and who doesn’t!), then listen up…
If you upgrade your computer network before December 31st, you can claim a BIG tax deduction THIS YEAR.
And, to sweeten the deal, we’ve uncovered a number of rebates and discounts on workstations, servers, and laptops to save you even MORE money on a upgrade. Plus, as a bonus to anyone doing a complete network upgrade, we are giving away 3 FREE months of our network monitoring service. This service is designed to keep your network always up, always fast, and always secure. After all, you don’t want your data to become corrupt or lost due to a virus, hardware failure, or a glitch.
With the tax savings, discounts, and free support, NOW is the absolute BEST time to upgrade those old computers.
But hurry! You only have until December 31st to make the upgrade! Give us a call today at (734) 457-5000, or e-mail sales@expertsmi.com.
If You Depend on Your Computer Network to Run Your Business, This is One Report You Don’t Want to Overlook!
This report will outline in plain, non-technical English common mistakes that many small business owners make with their computer network that cost them thousands in lost sales, productivity, and computer repair bills, as well as providing an easy, proven way to reduce or completely eliminate the financial expense and frustration of these oversights.
You’ll Discover:
• The single most expensive mistake most small business owners make when it comes to protecting their company data.
• The universal misconception business owners have about their computer networks, and how it can end up costing between $9,000 and $60,000 in damages.
• 6 Critical security measures every small business should have in place.
• How to greatly reduce – or even completely eliminate – frustrating crashes, slow performance, and other annoying computer problems.
Get Your Free Copy Now by e-mailing info@expertsmi.com.
The holidays are right upon us and there’s a good chance some of your relatives will want to use your computer while visiting. If you want to give them access but don’t want them viewing your personal files, then you’ll need to set up a guest account. This will give them access to your programs, but not to your personal files. Here’s how…
Click the “Start” button then “Control Panel.” Double-click “User Accounts,” then click the “Guest Account” button. On the next window, click “Turn on the Guest Account.” That’s it! The next time you log on, you’ll be given a choice of your regular accounts or the Guest Account. Just have the in-laws select the Guest Account and your files are safe from their prying eyes.
If they’re really nosy, put a password on your account. Simply go back to the “User Accounts” window and click “Change an Account.” Choose your account, then click “Create a Password.” Enter the password twice, and a hint if you like. Finish by clicking “Create a Password” and repeat the steps for the accounts you want protected.
No one wants to have their network “hacked,” but what exactly can a hacker do? Plenty, and you are right to be afraid!
One common way for hackers to access your network is through spyware or viruses, which are malicious programs written to imbed themselves into your network to gather private information, steal financial data, access passwords, e-mail addresses, and spread themselves to other users.
But one of the most common ways for hackers to access your system is through e-mail, or spam e-mail to be more specific. Even if you have the latest anti-virus software installed, hackers are very clever at getting you to circumvent your anti-virus software through phishing e-mails.
Phishing is when a hacker sends you a legitimate looking e-mail from a trusted source — like PayPal, your bank, eBay, or any number of other legitimate business websites. These e-mails will tell you that your account is expired or will be closed if you don’t go to a designated website and update or verify your account information.
Although you may have seen these e-mails before, be very careful! Hackers are brilliant at making not only the e-mail seem legitimate, but also at making the website you go to look like the real thing.
If you fall prey to their scam, the site will gather your private information (usernames, passwords, accounts, etc.) and then use that to access your bank account or to charge your credit card.
To protect yourself, install a spam filter and NEVER open or respond to any e-mail requesting account verification. Instead, call the company. If it is a legitimate request, you can verify that with them over the phone.
5 Simple Tips Explain How To Distinguish Your Business Online
Untangling the mystery of the World Wide Web can be a lot like walking into quicksand: The more you get into it, the harder it is to get where you want.
Credit the sheer number of sites that populate the Web, creating clutter that makes it hard for small businesses to distinguish themselves.
Ultimately, it’s the business owners who devote time to their websites that reap the greatest rewards online.
Business websites are a lot like a car: If you don’t put gas in it and get regular oil changes, it won’t perform for you. The same goes for the Web, where sites that aren’t useful or current do little good for their owners.
One way to maximize your Web investment is through a process known as “search engine optimization” or SEO. This combines design elements, text, and keywords to ensure that the site gets the best recognition from the major search engines.
To maximize their SEO strategies, companies should define their niche market, then decide how they want that customer base to find them on the Internet.
Since it’s getting harder and harder to distinguish yourself online, here are five tips to make a splash on the Web:
1: Wow them from the first page. First impressions mean everything on the Web, so your site’s front page must shine in order to be effective.
A company’s front page should forgo bandwidth-heavy graphics and instead feature a bulleted list of services and a simple, readily accessible way to contact the company for an estimate or more information.
Subsequent pages can showcase your portfolio, testimonials from satisfied customers, and links to free e-newsletters.
2: Make it user-friendly. It’s age-old advice, but companies still aren’t adhering. Ease of use equates to both a pleasant visiting experience and marketing effectiveness. Use clear language, useful links, and navigation bars to steer customers in the right direction.
3: Make them eager to return soon. Attracting visitors is important, but persuading them to return is even more important.
Create long-term online customers by incorporating relevant self-assessment tests, surveys, and other tools with related products and services your business provides. This ensures an educational, interactive experience for the client and is a great marketing tool for your company.
Start with a simple biweekly newsletter, a blog, or a chat forum on a topic of interest to your customers.
4: Get back to basics. Browse through a few sites and you’ll quickly discover that accessing basic information can be a challenge.
To make sure your visitors don’t get turned off by poor navigation, broken links, and irrelevant information, be sure to give them a clear explanation of your product or service, making sure to highlight exactly what makes your firm and its offerings unique.
5: Give them the royal treatment. When designing your site, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What do they want to see or know? What format most suitably presents this information? How can you keep them interested and make the experience fun?
For many businesses, tracking employees use of software and the Internet is an absolute necessity for employers who are juggling productivity with employee privacy while trying to remain competitive in an increasingly fierce market.
Many computer professionals consider the problem to be crucial in today’s market.
What do you do if you’re an employer, and you want to retain your employees? You must keep salaries high, or they will go else-where. But you also can’t raise your prices, or you will be outpriced by competitors.
The answer is to increase productivity. You look around the office but don’t see people wandering the halls or talking at the water cooler. Everyone’s at their computers. The question is, what are they doing at their computers?
There is much anecdotal evidence that demonstrates the growth of personal use of computers during business hours, and there are many programs that track the URLs that employees visit, how much time they spend online, and the amount of bandwidth that Internet use is taking up.
They also allow employers to monitor which non-Internet programs employees use.
Programs like these gives employers a snapshot to show how much activity is spent on non-administrative activity.
Some critics see monitoring of employee Internet use as something of an invasion of privacy, but workplace security experts disagree. These programs can tell that an employee is spending four hours a day on eBay, but won’t disclose the actual activity on it.
It can tell if someone is consistently downloading unusually large files, but doesn’t disclose the contents of the individual’s e-mail.
Many monitoring programs also can tell if employees are spending large amounts of time playing Elf Bowling or Tetris instead of working, and whether more official programs that the company has purchased are being used. If they’re not, then further purchases may be a waste of money.
The primary purpose of the software is not to penalize employees for “unofficial” Internet use but rather to pinpoint problem areas in weak-performing employees and to locate “bandwidth hogs” whose overuse of the Internet slows down everyone’s work.
Tech Experts offers several solutions to filter, monitor and report on Internet use on a company’s network.
Call us today at (734) 457-5000 (toll free 888-457-5001) for more informataion.
Here are six additional search engine optimization strategies you can start today to bring more traffic to your business website:
1. Include only the most important, meaningful keywords in your site’s title tag or the title that appears in the bar at the top of the web page.
2. Make sure your site includes as much information as possible, preferably 250 words on each page.
3. Spend the time necessary to know the keywords your prospective clients use to find your firm and its products/services.
4. Don’t try to trick the search engines by loading your site with irrelevant keywords that have nothing to do with your business.
5. Don’t allow your most important keywords to be contained in graphics. Try substituting formatted HTML text for graphics.
6. Citation mapping, the number of links that point to your Website, is critical to all search engines when assigning ranking.
Use as many relevant quality links as possible that point to your site, to guarantee top placement.