All the News That’s Fit to Scroll
November 12, 2010 · Published By Mr. Modem
Q. I’m a news junkie and wondered if you had any suggestions for great news sites beyond the typical news media sites?
A. I still prefer the newspaper for reading the news, but you can’t beat the Internet for up-to-the-minute reports. There are literally hundreds of news-related sites, but three of my favorites include Google News ( http://news.google.com), which aggregates news from more than 4,500 news sources. For local news, take a look at Topix (www.topix.net). Click “Change City” and you can easily check hometown news or local news in other cities. Last, but not least, I like Newser (www.newser.com), which presents news in a novel 20-square grid pattern. Click “Newser Grids” and you can increase the grid to 42-squares, which is guaranteed to give you a headache.
Q. I’d like to insert a photo into the body of an email using Outlook Express. When I click Insert, the Picture option is grayed out most of the time. How can I have that option available to me at all times?
A. Before you can send email with inserted pictures, you have to enable HTML formatting. Click Tools > Options > Send tab, and make sure that the “Mail Sending Format” is set to HTML.
Next, click the HTML Settings button and place a check in the “Send pictures with messages” box. Click OK > OK to save and exit.
When you compose an email and want to insert a photo, click the location in the message where you would like the picture to appear, then click Insert > Picture. If you click Insert without first clicking within the body of your message, the Picture option will be grayed out and unavailable to you.
Q. Is there a safe way to remove files from my computer, even if I don’t recognize them?
A. If you are only so-so sure that you want to delete a file, but not absolutely, positively sure, the safest thing to do is either leave it alone, or if your objective is to remove clutter from a folder, move it to the Recycle Bin. Unless you intentionally empty the contents of your Recycle Bin, anything placed in it will remain there indefinitely, so it’s a handy place to keep files that you’re iffy about deleting. If you decide that you do need a file at some point, you can simply open the Recycle Bin, right-click the file in question and select Restore. The file will be returned to the location from whence it came.
When it comes to removing programs, if you encounter a stubborn program that will not vacate the digital premises via the Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs, RevoUninstaller (www.revouninstaller.com) is an excellent third-party program remover. It is available in free and paid versions.
Mr. Modem’s Sites of the Week:
Baby Animals
All together now, “Awwwwwwww!” Few sights in nature are more heartwarming than that of a newborn, regardless of its species — well, with the possible exception of my cousin Irene’s baby. Whew! That kid is going to be howling at the moon any day now. Animal lovers will get a kick out of this fun-loving Web site which boasts great photos of newborn turtles, koalas, rabbits, pandas, puppies, bear cubs, elephants, kittens, and just about every other animal in the wild kingdom.
www.babyanimalz.com/gallery1.php
Viral Video Chart
No need to search Google Video (http://video.google.com) or YouTube (www.youtube.com) for the best videos, when you can view the cream of the video crop in one location. The Viral Video Chart is a digital-age version of the “Top 20 Countdown,” a daily listing of the top 20 viral videos on the Internet. Adios productivity.
http://viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com
For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus helpful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit www.MrModem.com.
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