DECEMBER, 2013 - COMPUTER SECURITY WITH ANTIVIRUS AND FIREWALL SOFTWARE

New PCs almost invariably come with a free trial version of a subscription security suite from a company such as Symantec or McAfee. But you can probably skip paying for those programs and still be safe online, our latest tests confirm.  The types of security available include:

·        Free security suites

These offer not only malware protection but add a firewall and in some cases, other extras such as a child filter. But none of the free suites we tested include some other features that are often found on pay suites such as anti-spam protection, built-in backup software, and a browser toolbar that will alert you when you're visiting sites that host malware.

·        Pay security suites

Such suites promise comprehensive protection in one package. They offer not only malware protection but also a firewall, an anti-spam filter, and other extras. The latter usually include a child filter, often include a browser toolbar that will alert you when you're visiting sites that host malware, and sometimes include a file shredder and file backup software. You buy the program online, either by downloading it or upgrading from a free trial version carried on your PC. You can use a suite on as many as three computers in the same household. Prices typically range from $40 to $80, and include a year of service. After that, you'll typically pay another $40 to $80 per year to renew service.

·        Free anti-malware programs

These are mostly downloads. But there's also the protection that Microsoft builds into its operating system. 

·        Spam filters

These offer supplemental protection that you may want because your e-mail program isn't adequately filtering out unwanted messages. Often built into pay suites.

·        Anti-phishing toolbars

Free security toolbars available for all major browsers provide extra protection against phishing sites, especially if you're using an older browser version or just want extra protection.  Widely used browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer have built-in features:

o   Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10:  SmartScreen Filter (on by default)

o   Chrome:  Phishing and Malware Protection (on by default)

o   Firefox:  Phishing and Malware Protection (on by default)

Most free standalone anti-malware programs focus only on keeping malware from installing or downloading on your system. Some free security suites include a firewall and child filters. For the features listed below, you'll most likely need a pay security suite.

·        IM protection

This feature blocks attempts to deliver malware via instant messages.

·        Firewall

A firewall keeps malware from downloading and prevents a malicious Web site from grabbing data off your computer. The best firewalls protect you from incoming and outgoing threats, and pop up clearly worded alerts when a potential breach is detected, to help you decide if it's OK to let the data go through.

·        Anti-spam

The filters provided by many e-mail programs or ISPs might be all you need to block unwelcome mail. The anti-spam feature on suites (and standalone, and often free, programs) offer supplementary assistance if too many junk e-mail messages are still getting through.

·        Child filter

These block access to certain sites unsuitable for children.

·        Privacy filter

If you're about to inadvertently divulge personal information, a privacy filter will provide a warning.

·        Browser toolbar

These toolbars can be placed into popular browsers to help prevent phishing.

·        File shredder

This feature allows you to erase files to prevent their recovery from your hard drive.

·        File backup

A suite with this feature will periodically back up your files to another drive.

Free is fine for most people

As long as you surf safely--that is, you never download software from unfamiliar sites (those downloads might carry malicious software) or click on e-mail links to access bank or other personal accounts (those links are favorite tools for cyberthieves)--the free anti-malware programs we recommend should adequately protect you.

Make sure Windows firewall is on to help block malware and keep malicious web sites from grabbing data off your computer.

Consider your computer

Some suites demand more resources than others. Machines with less than a gigabyte of memory might run too slowly with such gluttons. Similarly, some programs' scans take longer than others. This is important if you have an older computer

Choose a pay suite mostly for convenience and features

An advantage of a pay suite is that it simplifies your security regimen. It requires just one download and installation and a single upgrade to its database when necessary. Its single interface can also be easier to use than multiple stand-alone programs.  The extras you get with a suite include a built-in firewall, which can block attempts by malicious software to access data on your computer. In our tests, the firewalls in the best suites afforded slightly better protection than those built into Windows operating systems--though the latter offered adequate protection for most.

With free products, help is usually limited to online FAQs, forums, and tutorials. Most of the tested pay suites offer free e-mail and chat support. Most also offer phone support, though some charge for it.

 

NOVEMBER, 2013 - TABLET COMPUTERS

Do You Even Need One?

Simply put, tablets aren't really filling any true need.  They're neither replacements for computers nor smartphones. While you can tackle productivity tasks on a tablet, you won't get the desktop-grade operating system or the keyboard that you find on a PC.   Add-on keyboards are available to supplement the on-screen virtual keyboard, but few will provide the same comfort you'll experience with a laptop or a desktop. The main focus of the tablets is media consumption, not productivity.

Tablets do have advantages over both laptops and phones, offering a more portable way to check email, browse the Web, video chat, watch movies, listen to music, and play games than your laptop can provide, but with a bigger screen than on your smartphone.   Tablets by design are comparatively lightweight and relatively easy to carry around; they're great in your lap or on a surface. Reaching for a tablet to browse the Web during TV commercials is much easier than getting up, going to your desk, and booting up your computer. Even laptops can take a while to start, and they often get uncomfortably hot after a short period of use. As for using a smartphone, you do have easy access and instant-on, but it's nice to be able to view an entire Web page as opposed to the mobile site or an oddly rendered version on a smartphone's much smaller screen

Even so, you probably don't need one.  But, if you want one, here are the key factors to consider while shopping for a tablet.

Choose Your Operating System

The top contenders are Apple with its iPads and iPad mini, Android with its many hardware choices from the likes of Acer, Amazon, Asus, Barnes & Noble, Google, Samsung, and others and Microsoft with its Windows RT, a slimmed-down version of Windows 8, which runs on the Microsoft Surface and tablets from Asus, Dell, and Lenovo.  Each has its benefits and drawbacks and the final choice is mostly dependent on your preference.

Screen Size and Portability

When you hear the term "10-inch or 7-inch tablet", this refers to the size of the screen, measured diagonally, and not the size of the tablet itself. 7-inch tablets are considered small-screen, while 8.9- to 10-inch tablets are considered large screen. Tablets with 8-inch or smaller displays mostly weigh less than a pound. Most manufacturers offer tablets in both small and large screen sizes.

Screen resolution is important too, especially for ebook reading, playing games, watching movies and Web surfing. A sharp, bright display is key. Look for high resolution such as 1280x800 or above.  High definition is also becoming a common feature.

 The weight of a tablet is one definite advantage—but at around 1.44 pounds, it's not cell-phone light. This is true for small-screen tablets as well.  Holding it in one hand for a while will be tiring. Setting it flat in your lap can also be a little awkward. And few tablets will fit in your pocket.

Apps

Apps are small specialized software programs – applications – that can be downloaded from the Internet for your tablet.  Some apps are free, while others must be bought.  Many app developers create new apps for the Apple App Store first, and often exclusively. And because of the large user base, apps in the Apple store are more likely to get bugs fixed first.

The major app stores from Apple, Google, and Microsoft have specific developer requirements that make their apps more reliable and less likely to be vulnerable to malware. But Android devices (only) let you opt to install non-vetted apps from the Internet, so be careful about allowing that.

If you choose a tablet with the Android OS, make sure it has access to Google's "genuine" Google Play market and not just a third-party app market such as GetJar. You'll get a wider variety of popular apps there, and gain some security against potentially malicious "rogue" apps.

You get many fewer Android apps on Barnes & Noble and Kindle tablets because those companies select the apps they want to provide. But there's still a large number available on both of those tablets as well.

Microsoft's Windows Store is brand new and so far relatively sparse, but we expect the number of available apps to continue to increase.

Storage and Ports

Cloud (online) storage is an option for many tablets but for on-board storage, more is always better. All those apps, when combined with a typical music, video, and photo library, can take up a lot of space. Right now storage on most tablets tops out at 64GB of flash-based memory. Larger capacity models can get as expensive as full-featured laptops.  A few Android tablets have microSD memory card slots that let you expand storage; the Surface has one as well. Storage in many tablets can be expanded using USB ports as they can read USB flash drives. The iPad has no memory-card slot or USB port.

Wi-Fi-Only vs. Cellular Models

A Wi-Fi-only model is the most economical choice. Tablets with cellular service cost more, plus you'll have to pay for the service. Choose a broadband model only if "everywhere access" to the Net is critical. If it is, 4G capability, or at least the ability to upgrade to it, is a plus.

Battery Life

Having a razor-sharp screen and thousands of apps won’t matter much if your tablet dies while you’re in the middle of a game or watching a movie.  The average battery life of a tablet is approximately 8 hours, but can vary widely.  Check the manufacturer’s information and online reviews to find out the expected battery life of any tablet you are considering.

Other Features

Most new tablet models offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a front-facing webcam and rear-facing camera, and GPS capability.

Finally, before you buy, if you can, head to your local electronics store to get hands-on time with some different tablets, so you can see which feels and works best for you.

October, 2013: Getting Started with Windows 8

Windows 8 can be confusing at first, since the interface has changed so much. You'll need to know how to navigate the Start screen as well as the Desktop. 

To Sign In to Windows 8: 
When you're setting up Windows 8, it will require you to create an account name and password that you will use to sign in. You can also create additional accounts, and you'll have the option of associating each one with a Microsoft account. 
1. Click anywhere on the lock screen to unlock the computer. 
2. Your user account name and picture will appear. Type your password and then press Enter to sign in.  Alternatively, you can press the back arrow to select a different user. 
3. The Start screen will appear. 

Navigating Windows 8 
There are several ways to navigate through Windows 8, including hot corners, keyboard shortcuts, and gestures if you're using a computer or tablet with a touchscreen. 

Using Hot Corners 
Whether you're in the Start screen or the Desktop, you can navigate through Windows 8 by using hot corners. 
To use a hot corner, just hover the mouse in the corner of the screen, and it will open a toolbar or tile that you can click. Each corner performs a different task: 
1. Lower left click: When you're using an app, you can click in the lower-left corner to switch back to the Start screen. 
2. Upper left hover: If you have several apps open, you can switch between them by hovering the mouse in the upper-left corner and then moving the mouse down. This displays a list of all of your open apps, and you can click the desired app to switch to it. 
3. Upper left click: If you click in the upper-left corner, it will switch to the previous app that you were using. 
4. Upper right or lower right hover: You can hover the mouse in the upper-right or lower-right corner to open the Charms bar, which you'll use to adjust your computer's settings, manage printers, and more. 

If you have a touchscreen, you can navigate by using swipe gestures instead of hot corners: 
1. Swipe in from left edge lets you switch to a different open app. 
2. Swipe in from right edge opens the Charms bar. 
Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Navigate 
Windows 8 has several keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate more easily: 
1. Alt+Tab: You can hold down the Alt key and then press Tab one or more times to switch between your open apps. This feature is called Flip, and it works in both Desktop view and the Start screen. 
2. Windows: When you have an app open, you can press the Windows key to switch to the Start screen. This shortcut also lets you switch back to the Start screen when you are in Desktop view. 
3. Windows+D: You can hold down the Windows key and press D to switch to Desktop view. 


The Charms Bar 
The Charms bar is a toolbar that lets you access your computer's settings, along with other options. You can access the Charms bar by hovering the mouse in the top-right or bottom-right corner. 
The Charms bar contains several icons, which are called charms, and each one contains different options: 
1. Search: The Search charm lets you find apps, files, or settings on your computer. However, a 
simpler way to search is to go to the Start screen and start typing the name of the file or app that you're looking for. 
2. Share: The Share charm is basically a copy and paste feature that is designed to be as convenient as possible. It allows you to "copy" information (such as a photo or web address) and "paste" it into another app. For example, if you're viewing a photo in the Photos app, you can share it with the SkyDrive app, which will upload the photo to your SkyDrive. If you're reading an article online, you can share the address with the Email app, which lets you email the article to a friend. 
3. Start: This switches to the Start screen. If you're already on the Start screen, it will open the most recent app. 
4. Devices: This shows any hardware devices that are connected to your computer, such as printers or monitors. 
5. Settings: This lets you access general settings for your computer, as well as settings for the app you're currently viewing. For example, if you're in Internet Explorer, you can go to the Settings charm to access your Internet Options. 

Coping Without the Start Menu 
Although the Desktop looks very similar to previous versions of Windows, it has one major change: the Start menu has been removed. The Start menu was a very important feature in previous versions of Windows, as it was used to launch apps, search for files, open the Control Panel, and shut down the computer. You can still do all of these things in Windows 8, but they're now found in different places. 

To Launch an App: 
There are several ways to open an app in Windows 8: 
1. Click the app icon on the taskbar. 
2. Double-click the app shortcut on the Desktop. 
3. Click the app tile in the Start screen. 
4. To view all of your apps, right-click the Start screen background and select All apps. 

To Search for a File or App: 
Press the Windows key to switch to the Start screen, and then type what you're looking for. Your search results will instantly appear on the left side of the screen, and search options will appear on the right. 

To Open the Control Panel: 
1. From the Desktop view, hover the mouse in the lower-right corner to access the Charms bar, then select Settings. 
2. Locate and select Control Panel from the Settings Pane. 
3. The Control Panel will appear. You can then select the desired setting to change it. 

To Shut Down Your Computer: 
1. Hover the mouse in the lower-right corner to access the Charms bar, then select Settings. 
2. Click Power and select Shut down. 

Working with Start Screen Apps 
Start screen apps are different from the "classic" Windows apps you may be used to. Apps fill the entire screen instead of opening in a window. However, you can still multitask by opening two apps side-by-side. 

To Open an App: 
1. On the Start screen, locate and click the app that you want to open. 
2. The app will open and fill the entire screen. 

To Close an App: 
1. Hover the mouse at the top of the app. The cursor will change to a hand icon. 
2. Click, hold, and drag the top of the app all the way down to the bottom of the screen and then release. The app will close, and you'll return to the Start screen. 
When dragging the app down, it may look like it's "stuck." However, just keep moving the mouse down until the cursor gets to the bottom of the screen, and the app will then close.

Viewing Two Apps Side-By-Side 
Although apps usually fill up the entire screen, Windows 8 lets you snap an app to the left or right side and then open a second app. For example, you might want to keep your calendar visible while you're using another app. 

To View Two Apps Side-By-Side: 
1. From the Start screen, click on the first app to open it. 
2. Click, hold, and drag the top of the app all the way to the right or left side of the screen. 
3. Release the mouse, and the app will snap to the side of the screen. You cannot change the size of the snapped app. 
4. Click anywhere in the empty part of the screen to return to the Start screen. 
5. Click the second app to open it 
6. Both apps will now appear side-by-side. 
Snapping is designed to work with wide-screen monitors. You will need a screen resolution of at least 
1366x768 pixels to use this feature.

September, 2013: Files & Folders

FILES AND FOLDERS – HARD DRIVE ORGANIZATION

Every item on your computer -- documents, photos, videos, music, email, programs, etc. -- is made up of one or more files. These files are always grouped in folders and make up your directory. Groups of folders, called sub-folders, are often filed together in another folder -- just like your filing cabinet. This "filing cabinet" on your computer is called a hard drive. 

 Think of your hard drive as one big file cabinet.  You will stash your work in the file cabinet.  But you can't just throw documents in willy-nilly.  You have to have an organizational structure to your filing system.  

   Folders provide that organizational structure, just as they do in a file cabinet.  First, you will put labeled folders into your cabinet/drive.  Each folder will have a name.  When you view the contents of a hard drive, folders are normally listed in alphabetical order.  

   Inside the folder, you will put your documents, which are called Files.  In order to be able to find your documents later within an overstuffed folder, you will give each File or document a name.   

A file name is made up of two parts:  (1) the name of the document and (2) the file extension.  You may name a file anything you wish, but it is preferable to name a file something you are likely to remember later.  
The second part of a file name is the extension.  In the file text.doc, the word text is the file name and the .doc is the extension.  A period always separates the two.  The extension identifies what kind of a document you have and is determined by the software program in which the file is created.  YOU do NOT need to decide this, nor should you change it.

Some examples of file extensions are: 

.doc - Microsoft Word Document 
.htm - Web document  
.gif - image 
.jpg - image 
.ppt - PowerPoint Presentation 


You can see how this looks on your hard drive in several ways. One way is to use your mouse and right-click on the START button in the lower left corner of your screen and then left-click on "Explore
What you will see is a tree-like diagram. The left side of Explorer (the folder tree) shows all the folders and the right side shows us the contents of the highlighted folder.  The contents of a folder can contain even more sub-folders and individual files.

It is easy to get lost among the pile of folders on most hard disks unless you can actually see the ways the folders are related to each other. The folder tree, located in the left pane, is just such a helpful diagram.

The folder tree shows all of the computer's drives and folders in a nested arrangement, plus some special areas like the Control Panel and Recycle Bin. 

A small symbol, or  , marks drives and folders which contain other folders. Clicking this symbol expands this branch of the folder tree.

Another symbol,  or  , marks something that is already expanded to show its contents. Clicking the symbol will collapse this branch of the folder tree.

You can show or not show dotted lines between equal levels in the folder tree, as shown in the first illustration above.

Windows Vista, by default, does not show the arrows unless the mouse pointer is over the folder tree.


CREATING FOLDERS

You can create new folders in the Explorer window.  In the folder tree – the left pane - click on the existing folder in which you want to create a NEW folder.  For example, click on My Documents (or Documents, if you’re using Vista). In the (My) Documents window, right-click in a blank area. Select New>>Folder.
A new folder will appear in the window. It is named New Folder, but the name is highlighted. You can (AND SHOULD) type a new name for it.  To change the name later, right-click the folder and select Rename. Then, enter another name.

If you open (click on) this new folder, there will be nothing inside. You can put the other folders inside it. Technically, they're called subfolders.  You can see the hierarchy in the left panel.  Subfolders can also contain folders, however, it can be a hassle to navigate through many levels of folders.  You can also delete folders by right-clicking on them and then clicking on Delete.


CREATING FILES

In Explorer, you can drag and drop files into the folders, if you’ve already created files.  You can also delete files in Explorer.  However, files are NEVER created in Explorer. You would do this in a software program by clicking on File>>Save, then navigating to the correct folder in the Save dialog box. When you find your folder, just click Save. Your file will be stored in the appropriate place.

Explorer is called Explorer for a reason. Don't be afraid to browse your hard disk. Look in all your folders, and try all the programs in the Start Menu. Explore!

August, 2013 - Burn a DVD

Burn a DVD-Video disc with Windows DVD Maker

1. Add and arrange videos and pictures
When making a DVD, you first need to add your videos and pictures. (If you add pictures, they'll play as a slide show on your DVD.) You can arrange your videos and slide show in Windows DVD Maker to change their order on your final DVD. After that, you can preview your DVD to see how it looks, customize it, or start to burn it.

 To add and arrange items on a DVD

1. Open Windows DVD Maker by clicking the Start button  . In the search box, type DVD Maker, and then, in the list of results, click Windows DVD Maker.
Another way to start Windows DVD Maker is to insert a blank recordable or rewritable DVD into your DVD burner, and then click Burn a DVD video disc using Windows DVD Maker in the AutoPlay dialog box that appears.
2. If the Turn your digital memories into a DVD page displays, click Choose Photos and Videos.
3. Do one of the following on the Add pictures and video to the DVD page:
• Click Add items. Locate and select the videos and pictures that you want to add to your DVD, and then click Add.
To select several pictures or videos, press and hold the Ctrl key, and then click each picture or video that you want to add.
Click File, and then click Open project file. Locate the folder that contains a Windows DVD Maker project file that you want to use to create your DVD, click the project file, and then click Open. To learn more about Windows DVD Maker project files, see Work with projects in Windows DVD Maker.
If you want to add more pictures, videos, or music to your DVD, after opening a Windows DVD Maker project file, click Add items, and then click the other pictures and video files that you want to add.
4. To change the order of your videos and slide show, click the video or slide show that you want to move, and then click Move up   or Move down  . You can also move items by dragging them up or down in the list.
5. To remove a video or slide show from the DVD, select the item you want to remove, and then click Remove items.
6. (Optional) To add, remove, or arrange pictures in a slide show, double-click the slide show, do one or more of the following, and then click Back to videos to go back to the list of videos on your DVD:
• Click Add items. Locate and select the pictures that you want to add to your slide show, and then click Add.
To select several pictures, press and hold the Ctrl key, and then click each picture that you want to add.
• To remove a picture from the slide show, select the picture you want to remove, and then click Remove items.
• To change the order that pictures appear in the slide show, click the picture that you want to move, and then click Move up   or Move down  . You can also move pictures by dragging them up or down the list.
7. If you have more than one DVD burner, on the Add pictures and video to the DVD page, select the DVD burner that you want to use from the DVD burner list.
8. Click the DVD title box, type a title that will appear on your final DVD, and then click Next.
9. Do one of the following on the Ready to burn DVD page, depending on what you want to do:
• If you want to preview your disc to see what it looks like, click Preview. Go to the next procedure to learn how to preview your DVD.
• If you want to burn your DVD right away, click Burn. See the last section on this page for more information about burning your DVD.
• If you want to customize your DVD before burning it, begin customizing your DVD menu styles and text. See the next section on this page for information about customizing your DVD menu in Windows DVD Maker.
Note
• If you want to set different options for your DVD, click Options on the Add pictures and video to the DVD, and then specify the options you want to use. For information about the different options you can specify when burning a DVD, see Change Windows DVD Maker DVD-Video settings.

To preview your DVD
By previewing your DVD, you can view the pictures and videos on it. This can help you to determine if you want to make any changes to the DVD before burning the disc.
1. On the Ready to burn DVD page, click Preview.
2. To play the DVD preview, click Play in the preview monitor.
3. To control playback, click Pause  , Play  , Previous chapter  , or Next chapter  , depending on what you want to do.
4. To view the DVD menu, click Menu. Click the Up, Down, Right, or Left arrows to move in that direction on the DVD menu preview, and then click the Enter button to play the selected menu item. Click OK when you are done previewing the DVD.
2. (Optional) Customize your DVD
Windows DVD Maker lets you customize your DVD menu and menu text so you can make the disc your own and give it the look you want. This includes changing the DVD menu style, menu text, and buttons for the DVD menu. And, if you added pictures to your DVD, you can customize how they play as a slide show on your DVD—and you can add music, too.

   To change the DVD menu text

1. To customize the text for the DVD menu, on the Ready to burn DVD page, click Menu text, and then do one or more of the following:
• Click the Font box, and then select the font for the menu text.
• Click the Font Color  , Bold  , or Italic   buttons to select the font color and formatting.
• In the DVD title box, type the title that you want to use for your DVD.
• In the Play button box, type a label for the button people can click to play your DVD.
• In the Scenes button box, type a label for the button that people can click to view the different scenes on the DVD.
• In the Notes button box, type a label for the button that people can click to view any notes you enter for the DVD.
• In the Notes box, type any notes that you want to appear on your DVD.
The Notes button and Notes page only appear on the DVD if you include information in these fields.
2. A static preview of your changes appears in the preview pane on the right side of the screen.
3. To preview the DVD menu and see how it looks, click Preview. Click OK when you're done previewing the DVD.
4. Click Change Text to save the text changes and to return to the previous page.

   To customize the DVD menu style

1. To choose the menu style for your DVD, click one of the DVD menu styles on the right side of the Ready to burn DVD page.
2. Click Customize menu, and then do one or more of the following:
• Click the Font box, and then select a font.
• Click the Font Color  , Bold  , or Italic   buttons to select the font color and formatting for your DVD menu text.
• If you select a menu style with both foreground and background video options, near the Foreground video box, click Browse, locate the video or picture that you want to appear in the foreground, and then click Add.
• To have a picture or video appear as the background for the main DVD menu, near the Background video box, click Browse, locate the video or picture that you want to appear in the background, and then click Add.
• If you want music to play while the DVD menu is displayed, near the Menu audio box, click Browse, locate the audio file (such as an MP3 or WMA file) that you want to use, and then click Add.
• Click the Scenes button styles box, and then select the shape for the scenes buttons on your DVD.
3. To preview the DVD menu and see how it looks, click Preview. Click OK when you're done previewing the DVD.
4. (Optional) If you want to save the customized DVD menu settings as a new DVD menu style and return to the previous page, click Save as new style. In the Style name box, type a name for your customized menu style, and then click OK.
You can use this customized DVD menu style for this DVD and other DVDs you create using Windows DVD Maker.
5. Click Change Style to save the changes you made for this DVD and to return to the previous page.

   To choose the settings for a slide show on the DVD

1. To set the settings for a slide show on your DVD, on the Ready to burn DVD page, click Slide show.
2. On the Change your slide show settings page, do one or more of the following:
• Click Add music, find the music files (such as MP3 or WMA files) that you want to use, and then click Add.
Depending on the length and settings for the slide show, you might want to add additional music. To do so, add another music file.
• If you added more than one audio file and you want to change the order in which the music files play in the slide show, click an audio file that you want to move, and then click Move up or Move down.
• To remove an audio file from the list, in the Music for slide show list, select the audio file, and then click Remove.
• To make the slide show and music last the same amount of time, select the Change slide show length to match music length check box.
The amount of time each picture displays is shown next to Picture length.
• To specify the duration for each picture to display in the slide show, clear the Change slide show length to match music length check box (if it's selected), and then click the amount of time (in seconds) in the Picture length list for each picture to display.
• To choose the kind of transition you want to use between pictures, select a transition type from the Transition box.
• To add pan and zoom effects to the pictures you include in your slide show, click Use pan and zoom effects for pictures.
• If you want to see the slide show as it will appear when you play your DVD, click Preview, and then click the slide show. Click OK when you're done previewing.
3. Click Change Slide Show to save the changes you made and to go to the previous page.
3. Burn the DVD
After you've added and arranged the files (and customized your DVD if you chose to do that), you're ready to start burning your DVD.

   To burn your DVD

1. When you're ready to start burning your DVD, click Burn.
The time it takes to burn your DVD depends on a few things, such as the amount of video you added to the DVD, your computer system resources, as well as your DVD burner.
2. After the DVD is burned, you can do one or more of the following on the Your DVD is ready page:
• To make another copy of the current DVD, remove the burned DVD, insert a new recordable DVD, and then click Make another copy of this DVD.
• To close the page, click Close.

July 2013 - Computer Basics:

We all can learn how to use our computers better and faster whether you are a pro or a beginner. So lets start at the beginning. The computer is a tool with a very exact structure called an operating system. Most of us have Windows operating systems on our computers so this article will concern only Windows computers.

File System:

Windows uses a tree structure structure for storing information on the computer.:

This relies on Folders and Files. A Folder can contain other Sub Folders and files. Files are single items like a letter, a photo, or a single program. Files can only be a single item. Each file or folder must have a unique name.

For example:

My Documents :

             Letters

                    Business Letters

                           MMM

                                   2/23/12letterordertape.doc

                                   4/5/12letterprice quote.doc

                          General Motors

                          LetterStateofIllinois.doc

                    Personal Letters

                          Letter to Mary Jones

                          Letters to John Smith

                   My Thoughts

                        Knowledge for the Ages.doc

                   Photos

                   Music

We can see there is a folder called My Documents with a group of sub-folders called Letters, Photos and Music. The Letters Folder contains sub-folders for Business Letters, Personal Letters and My Thoughts. Business Letters folder contains Folders for MMM, General Motors and a file ( letterstateofIllinois.doc). The MMM Folder has 2 files, letters to MMM.

This system is used for all parts of the computer and stores everything on the computer in this system. When it was developed, it was call DOS , disk operating system. The Core Folder of most Windows computers is “C” the hard drive on your computer. Computer can have many drives or storage devices. They are always named using a single capital letter A”, “B” etc. Drives come in many forms flash cards, memory stick, hard drives, DVD write and DVD read drives. When a drive is attached to a computer it is assigned a letter by the operating system.

The computer has a series of commands created to allow the user to operate the computer. These appear as menus in the menu bar at the top of each program.

File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools and Help. These are the same menus available in all programs on your computer and allow you to manage, create, edit and search your computer. Each of these drop downs offer a series of options. The ones that are black are available and the gray ones are not.. They also show keyboard short cut that allow you to use the command by pressing 2 keys at the same time. These keyboard short cuts allow you to keep your hands on the keyboard without reaching for the mouse. Again they work in all programs so learning them will speed up your computer time.

Where are the Programs?

Your computer came with many programs already loaded which allow you to type letters, make spreadsheets, and search the web. These programs are in a Folder “Program Files”. They also may appear on your Desk Top as “Shortcut icons”. You can start the program by clicking the icon twice.

Programs not on the desktop can be run by going to the Folder “ Program Files” and finding the program from the list. Most new programs that you install offer the option of creating a desktop icon.

Internet Fun and Useful things:

1. When searching for a specific item on the web you often are directed to a site and can't find your search term. When you open the site use a keyboard short cut to find the words. Click “Ctl + F”. A little window will open and type in the search word and enter. The words will be highlighted in web text. Click enter again and it will find the next usage.

2. We travel a lot and check road conditions before leaving. For Chicago area I like www.sigalet.com . It show any blockages and slow area. And also has web cams to see the traffic. Most State traffic can be checked using www.511.org .You type in the www.511__.org filling in the two letter abbreviation for the state and you will see a link to either the 511 site or a private state site showing traffic conditions. Most have traffic cams and show the present speeds of traffic. Each state site is slightly different, but all will give you a picture of conditions.
3. Thousands of radio station have gone to streaming of their broadcasts. In your browser search type in the city and state and type of radio you want and click enter. You will get a list of the station that are streaming on the web. Choose one and then click the listen live button. My Chicago favorite is WBEZ, an NPR radio station that is available anywhere in the world and gives Chicago weather and traffic hourly.