! STMUG - Mugletts !

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - RUN PREVIOUS SEARCHES

Do you run the same Web searches over and over? If you use the Search bar feature in IE5, you can retrieve a list of your last ten searches and re-run them with a click. To check this out, click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When the Search bar opens, select the Previous Searches radio button. A list of your previous searches appears. Click one to run it again. The results may vary, since new pages may have been listed since you last searched.

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MAC OS TABBING BETWEEN APPLICATIONS

Those of you Mac OS 9 users who like to keep your hands on the keyboard as you work will be pleased to know you can switch between open applications by simply pressing Command-Tab. This key command will cycle through all open applications in alphabetical order. To reverse the order and move backwards through the list of open applications, press Shift-Command-Tab.

As an alternative, you might try the shareware Program Switcher. For only $10, Program Switcher will extend the basic functionality of Mac OS 9's built-in Application Switcher--letting you customize every last detail and (my favorite feature) launch applications that are not yet open. Oh, yeah, it also lets you easily toggle between open files within an application. If you often work with more than one application at a time, you'll find this one well worth the $10 shareware fee.

Program Switcher:

http://www.programswitcher.com/

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Netscape PROBLEM-SOLVING ADVICE FROM NETSCAPE

When it's specific problem-solving advice you need, remember that Netscape has prepared a Knowledge Base with answers to lots of thorny questions. You can browse the Knowledge Base at

http://help.netscape.com/browse/

or you might find it easier to use the search engine to narrow down possibilities:

http://help.netscape.com/search.html

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ADOBE Photoshop - TURNING THE DETECT WATERMARK OFF

By default, the Digimarc Detect Watermark scans an opening file for a watermark and copyright information. In most cases, this scan does not affect the time it takes to open an image.

However, if you don't deal with images and Watermarks, you can turn the automatic scan off. To do so, remove the Digimarc Detect Watermark plug-in from the Plug-Ins folder in the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 application folder.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - SEARCH FOR A WORD

If you haven't explored the features on the Search bar in awhile, you should give it another looksee. The Search bar is actually a Web page, so features can be added and refined over time without having to wait for a software upgrade.

In addition to being able to search for an encyclopedia entry, you can now look up words in a dictionary or thesaurus. Open the Search bar by clicking the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Select the radio button marked Look Up A Word (if you don't see it, click the More link). From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Encyclopedia, Dictionary, or Thesaurus. Enter the word or words you are looking for, and click Search.

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MAC OS EASY-LOAD CONTROL STRIP MODULES

With Mac OS 8.5 and higher, you can quickly add a Control Strip module to the Control Strip by dragging that module onto the Strip. To remove a module, press the Option key while you click and hold down on the module, then let go of the Option key and drag it off of the Strip.

To make a copy of a module, you can drag it onto or off of the Strip while pressing the Option key: Option drag a module onto the Strip, and the original will stay in place while the copy is added to the Control Strip. Option-drag a module off the Strip, and the original will stay put while a copy is created wherever you dropped it.

As long as you're Option-dragging modules, here's one more trick: To move a module to a new location on the Strip, press Option while you drag it to the new location.

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Netscape QUESTION MARK MEANS MAIL TROUBLE

If you see a question mark instead of an exclamation point next to the envelope in the bottom-right corner of the browser window, that indicates Navigator is having a problem accessing the mail server. If the question mark appears for only a short time, that's probably just a problem on your ISP's end that's been resolved. But if the question mark lingers, it suggests that your mail settings are messed up. To check out your mail settings, go to the Options menu and choose Mail and News Preferences. Then, in the Preferences box, you can click the tabs at the top to move around. (Of course, all of this assumes that you DO use Navigator as your mail client.)

If you aren't sure what your mail server settings ought to be, contact your ISP.

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Photoshop TOO MUCH HISTORY TO REMEMBER

As you may recall, Adobe Photoshop retains a default 20 History states before dropping the oldest History state in favor of recording new actions. In our last tip, we described how you can increase the number of History states Adobe Photoshop will retain.

Although you can set the maximum number of retained History states to any value between 1 and 100, keep in mind that each History state consumes a portion of your computer's RAM. Therefore, be judicious when you assign a maximum History state value. In fact, to improve performance, you might consider setting this value lower.

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Apple responds to firmware issue

Apple has responded to user's concern over the "disappearing RAM" issue we reported on previously, and the answer is not what many users were hoping for. Essentially Apple's position is that the RAM which disappeared was disabled for a good reason: it does not meet their specifications.

Uh-huh. See what happens when Bill Gates buys into Apple?? -AppleAngel

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MAC OS - PUT THAT AWAY!

As you work your way into Spring-cleaning mode, don't forget about the File, Put Away command. If you've dragged an item onto the Desktop and want to quickly return it to its original folder, just select it and choose File, Put Away (or press Command-Y).

Even better, this one also works with items in the Trash. The next time you mistakenly drag a file or folder into the Trash, just double-click the Trash icon to view all the stuff that's in there. Then, select the item you want to salvage and press Command-Y. Your Mac will immediately move that item back to wherever it was before you tossed it out.

Of course, this only works BEFORE you empty the trash.

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MAC OS EXPAND COLOR-PICKING OPTIONS

The Mac OS comes equipped with six System-level color pickers that are available in a wide range of applications, and even pop up occasionally as you customize the appearance of your Desktop. Those of you who work with graphics are likely familiar with the Mac's color pickers, but for the rest of you, here's a quick way to see exactly what we're talking about: Open the Date And Time control panel (Apple Menu, Control Panels), click the Clock Options button, and then click Select Color in the resulting window. You'll see a window with the six color pickers along the left side. Click any one of those color pickers and the right side of the window will display the corresponding color-picking tools. Click the Crayon Picker option, for example, and you'll be presented with an image of 60 crayons from which you can choose. Click one of the crayons and that color will show up in the New box, while its name will be listed just below that box.

Personally, I've never been satisfied with even a box of 64 crayons, so there's no reason why I should settle for the 60 that Apple gives us, right? Well, apparently the folks at Apple agree. They've included a simple way to pick any color on your screen: When you press Option, the pointer turns into an eyedropper. Click that eyedropper anywhere onscreen, and you'll select the color of the pixel on which you clicked.

Let's wrap things up with a quick example: Click the crayon in the lower-right corner, and you'll see that you've selected Cool Shade. Now, hold down the Option key and click the lowermost of the gray stripes on that crayon, and you'll pick a lighter version of Cool Shade, called Cool Shade-ish. Click the other bands on that crayon, and you'll find Obsidian-ish and Marble-ish. (As you can see, any color that isn't represented by a crayon gets appended with "-ish.")

As long as you're using the eyedropper, don't limit yourself to clicking within the Color Picker window--you can choose any color onscreen.

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Photoshop EVERYDAY SHORTCUTS TO REMEMBER

Regardless of the Adobe Photoshop task, there are a few shortcuts that will make your day-to-day work much easier. For example, D resets the Foreground and Background color slots on the toolbar to the default Black and White.

X switches set Foreground color as the Background color and the Background color as the Foreground color.

Double-clicking a tool in the toolbar opens the Options for that tool.

Ctrl D in Windows or Command D on the Macintosh clears a selection.

The 0-9 number keys change the opacity of the chosen Paint tool. For example, 0 sets the opacity to 100 percent, 9 to 90 percent, 8 to 80 percent, etc.

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QUARKEXPRESS KEYSTROKES ON MACINTOSH

Quark has determined that the Shift-F10 shortcut used to display master pages may not work in the Macintosh PowerPC version of QuarkXPress 4.11. Use Shift-F4 until a fix is released.

http://www.quark.com

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Netscape Communicator COPYING ADDRESSES TO THE ADDRESS BOOK

A reader asks: "I would really like to know why Netscape does not allow copying and pasting of addresses from and to the Address Book?"

Oh, but it does. You can click on any address in your Address Book and select Copy, then click another Address Book in your list and select Paste. The same is true for copying addresses from email messages into the address field of a new Address Book card. Highlight the address with your mouse, click it and select Copy. Then open your Address Book and click File, New Card. In the New Card dialog box, click in the Email box and select Paste. Fill in the rest of the card with relevant or appropriate information to add it to your Address Book.

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Microsoft Office POWERPOINT, WORD: ENABLE YOUR INNER PLACEHOLDER

Slides may not show up in Word when you use PowerPoint's Write-Up. The notes will look OK, but instead of slide images you'll get an empty box with resize handles. This happens when you have enabled the picture placeholders in Word. To disable the holders choose Tools, Options and click the View tab. Deselect the check box labeled Picture Placeholders.

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MAC OS TOASTING A CD WITH ITUNES

When iTunes was first released, many users lamented the fact that its built-in CD-burning function only worked with a very limited number of very new Macs. Well, lament no more ... even if you can't burn a disc directly from iTunes, you can use Toast 4 to quickly burn a disc from any iTunes playlist. Here's how:

Start by opening Toast and choosing the Audio CD format option. Then, open iTunes and display or create a playlist of the MP3 songs you want to burn to CD. (Note that iTunes will display the total time at the bottom of the window, so it is easy to ensure you only list as many songs as will fit on a single disc--usually 74 minutes.)

Next, click somewhere in the list of songs and press Command-A to select all the songs. Then, drag and drop the list onto the Toast window. It may take a few seconds for Toast to acknowledge the files, so be patient. Finally, click the Write CD button and Toast will convert the files from MP3 to audio-CD format and burn them to the CD.

NOTE: This procedure was tested with the OEM version of Toast 4.1.2. As Toast users know, different versions may produce different results.

Apple iTunes:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Toast 4 Deluxe:

http://www.roxio.com/en/products/toast/index.html

Toast 4.1.2 update:

http://www.roxio.com/en/support/macupdates.html

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Netscape MORE INFORMATION FROM THE STATUS BAR

Note that the Status Bar, located at the bottom of your browser window, also provides useful information about the functions of Netscape features as you roll your cursor over various buttons and menu items.

Not only that, but if you hold your cursor over a link on a Web page without clicking on it, that page's URL will appear in the Status Bar.

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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 6.0 PLUG-INS

In the last few versions of Adobe Photoshop, you were able to move the majority of Plug-ins from version to version and even application to application. However, Adobe Photoshop 6.0 uses an updated Plug-in specification.

Therefore, you won't be able to use Adobe Photoshop 6.0 Plug-ins in other applications. In fact, many of the Plug-ins from previous Adobe Photoshop versions will not function properly in Adobe Photoshop 6.0.

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Netscape Communicator HARD DRIVE CRUNCHING AND HISTORY EXPIRATION

A reader asks: "Every so often (at least once every 10 minutes), there is some very intense hard drive activity. This takes over the whole system, basically stalling everything until it finishes. I have the history settings to expire after 365 days. I recently changed it to expire at 30 days. It worked fine for a few sessions, but again, the same problem occurred and I switched it back to 365 days. Could this be the cause of the problem?"

Goodness! 365 days is a long time for Netscape to keep track of. That number means that Netscape is keeping track of every single URL you've visited for the past year. This information is stored in a file in your Netscape folder. It's the swapping of information to and from this file that is most likely causing the hard drive activity you speak of. Shortening the number of days to keep track of will definitely improve performance. For most people, there is no need to keep a history for longer than a few days. Perhaps changing the number to no more than seven days will suit your needs. Experiment and note any change in the frequency of the hard drive crunching.

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Netscape STATUS BAR INDICATES WHETHER A WEB PAGE IS FINISHED LOADING

You can tell whether a Web page is finished loading by watching the Status Bar, located at the bottom of your browser window. Status messages appear on the left side. When a page has finished loading, the message "Document Done" will appear.

Another way to tell if a page is finished loading: Watch the Netscape 'N' in the top right and when those shooting stars stop falling, the page has finished loading.

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Netscape QUICK ACCESS TO PASSWORD PROTECTED PAGES

You know, there comes a time in many of our lives when nobody asks us for ID anymore. It can be a bittersweet experience, frankly. But if you visit a password protected Web site on a regular basis, you may have thought that day would never come on the Web.

Well, you were wrong, and that's good news if you're tired of typing in an ID and password all the time. This trick allows you to bypass that ID/password dialog box (if you enter your ID/password combo another way, such as into a Web page form, it won't work). Type

http://userid:password@www.sitename.com

in the Location box (using your own ID, password, and site name, of course) or, even better, create a bookmark containing this modified URL as your destination. If you prefer not to have your password in your bookmarks, where it could be found by snooping gremlins, you can modify the URL with just your user ID, so that you'll be prompted for a password only. To achieve that result, type the URL thus

http://userid@www.sitename.com

(Having trouble with the bookmark? Let's review: To create a new bookmark from scratch, open the Bookmarks [Ctrl-B] then choose Item, Insert Bookmark. Fill in the name and URL, then click OK. To modify an existing bookmark, click on the bookmark and choose Properties. After you tinker with the URL, click OK.)

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Netscape Communicator COMBINE DICTIONARIES

Diligent reader Stewart D. e-mailed us his method for combining the custom.dic files of several profiles on the same system. It requires a few more steps than the one we provided in a previous tip, but it works and it adds a certain amount of control for users who are concerned about file size.

"Use a text editor that has a sort text capability (such as Microsoft Word). Use copy and paste to combine the dictionaries, then use Table, Sort Text to sort the data. Review the data and manually remove duplicates to keep the size down. Then you're done. You can copy it to all users, so all will have the most up-to-date dictionaries without concern for whether all updates have been applied."

A gold star goes to Stewart for his resourceful suggestion.

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Photoshop THINK TWICE BEFORE SAVING A 6.0 FILE IN AN EARLIER VERSION

As we mentioned yesterday, you can open Adobe Photoshop 6.0 files in earlier versions of Photoshop. While most elements translate accurately, previous versions ignore any 6.0 features.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that every unsupported 6.0 element will be deleted from your image if you choose to open an Adobe Photoshop 6.0 file in a previous version and then save the file. Therefore, think twice before editing and saving a 6.0 file in a previous version of Adobe Photoshop.

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Mac Users Find OS X is for Early Adopters - By Michael Flaminio

I'll admit it. With the exception of a few basketball games, I spent all last weekend working on OS X. I fiddled with the BSD subsystem and read OS X forums deep into the night.

There will be plenty of euphoric and harsh criticism written about Apple's Mac OS X. Neither extreme I feel is truly justified. Apple did an outstanding job bringing this OS to market, but at the same time there are more than a few problems and omissions.

Is Mac OS X an imperfect OS?

Absolutely.

Could have Apple done more before its release?

Absolutely.

Should have Apple delayed the release?

Most certainly not.

Apple has been careful not too hype up the release of Mac OS X too much. It might seem odd considering the enormous significance of the release. Instead of a massive block party for the launch, Apple only organized a small press/analysis briefing. Instead of shipping it installed on its computers, Apple is deferring bundling Macs with OS X until this summer. Instead of including all of OS 9.1's features, Apple is promising updates for download as early as next month. Instead of hearing things like a "must have OS," we hear words like "early adopters." What does this all mean? It means Mac OS X is a work in progress.

Should this be a problem? Well, that depends on Apple. If Apple is willing to pump out regular updates and fixes for Mac OS X, then I think everything will be just fine. During the development of Mac OS X, Apple cranked out revisions on almost a daily basis. Personally, I'd love to download weekly updates. The updates don't have to be perfect or complete because OS X isn't perfect or complete. Many Mac users might find it a pain to install new updates on a frequent basis, some of which very likely could hurt as much as help. But I don't think that this would be a problem for those really using Mac OS X.

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Early Adopters

Someone asked me once how do they know if they're an early adopter. I could probably make a whole article entitled, "You Might be an Early Adopter if..." Instead I'll just do a paragraph. So, you might be an early adopter if you were the first on your block to have one or more of these products: a PDA, Cell phone, LCD monitor, CD-R drive, VCR, CD player, DVD player. If you had ever owned a Newton, eMate, Macintosh Portable or Pippin, then stop reading this now and buy OS X. On the other hand if you're still listen to vinyl, 8-Track or running Mac OS 8.6, then you're probably not ready of OS X.

Essentially an early adopter is someone who is willing to buy version 1.0 of anything. Not only will they be the first, but they're willing to pay a premium for it in both price and hassle. It can be anything from a piece of software to a new model of car. An early adopter is willing to risk the pitfalls of an initial design for the benefits of new technology.

How does this relate to OS X? OS X has its pitfalls, but it too has unique benefits. Those using Mac OS X should expect bugs and problematic issues. In fact, if you're a true early adopter, you'll enjoy seeking these problems out. You'll have fun griping about them and take pride in being the first to find a problem.

There's nothing, however, wrong with not being an early adopter. I know many people who won't install software that's not at least version X.01. Why do they wait? Because they're more interested in old things that work than new things that donât. That's fine. This means that Mac OS X is not yet ready for you. On the other hand, there are people who are not early adopter who insist on using new products anyway.

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Mac Users Find OS X is for Early Adopters

Now that the new OS is out of the gates, Mac users everywhere are wondering when and how they can use Mac OS X. Insanely Great Mac has posted a feature looking at who will really want to run Mac OS X.

"Apple has been careful not too hype up the release of Mac OS X too much. It might seem odd considering the enormous significance of the release. Instead of a massive block party for the launch, Apple only organized a small press/analysis briefing. Instead of shipping it installed on its computers, Apple is deferring bundling Macs with OS X until this summer. Instead of including all of OS 9.1's features, Apple is promising updates for download as early as next month. Instead of hearing things like a "must have OS," we hear words like "early adopters." What does this all mean? It means Mac OS X is a work in progress..."

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Microsoft Office POWERPOINT: EMBOSSING FOR EFFECT

When you apply the emboss effect to PowerPoint text, you'll find that the effect varies depending on the type of fill you decide to use. Here's what you can expect.

One-color (shaded) Text gets the selected shading color

Two-color (shaded) Text gets the first of the selected shading colors

Shaded preset Text gets the last solid color selected, or the fill color from the slide color scheme (this depends on how you formatted the text previously)

Patterned fill Text gets the Pattern Fill dialog box background color

Other Color fill Text gets the new fill color

No Fill Text gets the slide color scheme background color

Background fill Text gets the slide background color (based on the background formatting)

Textured fill Text gets the background color from the slide color scheme

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Internet Explorer 5 - FIND AN EASTER EGG

Since we've recently been discussing search tips, we thought it would be appropriate to end on a Search-related IE5 Easter egg. Here's how to see this hidden feature (added by the IE5 development team). But first, a word of warning: This will change the way your browser displays. If you do not want this to happen, even though you can change it back, do not follow these steps. Still with us? OK.

Click Tools, Internet Options, and select the General tab (if it isn't already selected). Press the Languages button. Click Add, and in the User-defined text box, type

ie-ee

then click OK. The Language Preferences dialog box appears. Select the entry you just made and click the Move Up button. Click OK twice to close the open dialog boxes. Now click the Search bar to see Easter Egg links. To see an animation, click the Customize button.

To make everything go back to normal, click the Previous searches button in the Search bar, then click the Reset Your Language Settings link. Select English under the Language list, and click Move Up. Then click OK.

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Today's Tip: Get into Condition

Tip level: Intermediate

A PowerBook G4's battery needs to be "conditioned" to get the best use out of it. To condition the battery, fire up your PowerBook with the power adapter unplugged and let the battery drain (a good way to do this is to open the Energy Saver control panel and in the Sleep Setup portion of the window set the "Put the system to sleep whenever it's inactive for" option to Never). Drain the battery once this way and your battery is conditioned.

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Browser tip: Tab the way you want to (Internet Explorer 5)

The toolbar comes with basic defaults, like the Forward and Back buttons, but there's plenty of room to add other shortcuts to menu items. Choose Customize Toolbars from the View menu to see a page of all the icons you can add. Then just drag the ones you want up to the Toolbar and drop them in place. Our favorites are the Search and Sherlock buttons and Larger/Smaller, which instantly makes type on a page larger or smaller. Other options are Add to Favorites List, View Source, and Track Auction.

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MAC OS 9.1: RESETTING PREFERENCES

When you upgrade from OS 9 to OS 9.1, you lose a handful of preferences. Among those settings affected by the upgrade are Views, Trash, and Desktop Printer preferences. If you're using Web Sharing and File Sharing over TCP/IP, you'll also lose those preferences.

After installing the upgrade, take a few minutes to go through the control panels (Apple Menu, Control Panels) to check the settings and ensure your Mac is customized to your liking. To change the Trash preferences, select the Trash icon and press Command-I (or choose File, Get Info). In the resulting window, you can disable the Warn Before Emptying option, which is activated by default.

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MAC OS 9: FILE ENCRYPTING

Mac OS 9 has added the capability to encrypt (that is, scramble and password protect) files. To do this, you simply select the file you want to encrypt, and then choose File, Encrypt; or select the file, Control-click it, and choose Encrypt from the resulting pop-up menu. You'll be prompted to create a pass phrase (you'll have to enter it twice to verify accuracy), and given the option of storing that perspires in the Keychain (if it is available). Your Mac will then encrypt the file and put a small key on its icon to indicate that it is locked.

When you try to open an encrypted file, you'll be asked for the perspires. Enter the correct perspires, and your Mac will decrypt the file and open it.

While this basic encryption function is handy, and welcomed, there are a couple caveats: If your Keychain is unlocked, and you've stored the perspires therein, you will NOT be prompted to enter the perspires. (Keychain works such that, when unlocked, it automatically enters the perspires for you.) For this reason, I recommend you do not use the Add To Keychain option when encrypting a file.

Finally, when you open an encrypted file, all security is removed from it. If you want to secure the document after you're done working with it, you'll have to close the file and repeat the process.

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New Apple firmware released: memory disappears; firmware less tolerant of some third-party RAM modules

Apple has released firmware updates for the G4, iBook, slot-loading iMac, and FireWire PowerBook computers that has caused significant problems for a large number of users. We have been flooded with messages about installed RAM disappearing and about machines that refused to boot altogether. We believe that the new firmware is less tolerant of RAM performance, and RAM that may have performed just fine previously is instantly reclassified as unusable. If all the RAM fails the test at startup, the machine refuses to boot. At present we know of no foolproof way for users to test RAM modules before applying the update. We also do not know exactly what measurement is causing the firmware to disable the memory.

Update [3/25]: Michael Myers writes: "I believe there is a way. My G4 came with a CD entitled Apple Hardware Test. I ran this and it said my RAM failed (it is 3rd party but had been functioning normally). I removed the RAM module and restarted and it passed the test. Then I reseated the 'defective' RAM and ran the hardware test again. This time it passed with the 3rd party RAM in place. I installed the firmware upgrade without problems. Go figure."

TechTool Pro's RAM tests may also be useful here.

It should be noted that these updates are not officially required prior to installing Mac OS X. We recommend users hold off installing the firmware update unless they are certain all of their RAM will function properly afterwards. There is no way to revert the firmware back to the previous version.

We have also received a large number of reports that confirm not everyone is affected. Thanks to everyone who sent us email, especially those we were not able to name.

NOTE: As we discussed at the April ST MUG meeting, DIMMCHECK will allow you to check your RAM before you install the firmware upgrade so you can make sure you still have it afterwards! -AppleAngel

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MAC OS - TURN A LIST ON ITS HEAD

When you view the items in a folder or drive using one of the List options (by Name, by Date Modified, etc.), you can quickly rearrange the list in opposite order by clicking the Reverse Sorting button. This button appears in the upper-right corner of each open window, and looks like a small triangle. When the triangle points up, the list is sorted normally (A to Z, new to old, etc.). When the triangle is pointed down, the list is sorted in reverse order (Z to A, old to new, etc.). Each time you click the triangle, it toggles between these two options.

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HOW TO STOP BROWSING BEFORE YOU START

If you click on a link and decide mid-click that you don't want to go there after all, just drag that half-click over to a blank area of the Web page and then let go. You won't go anywhere.

If your voyage is already underway when you change your mind, press Esc to halt the transmission immediately.

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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 6.0 FILES AND EARLIER VERSIONS

Although you can open Adobe Photoshop 6.0 files in earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop, expect some weirdness. Obviously, earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop will ignore features specific to version 6.0, such as New Layer Effects Gradient Map adjustment layers Layer sets The new vector support

Further, 6.0 type layers will display in versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.5. However, you will not be able to edit the text. Also, Adobe Photoshop 6.0 uses new type layout algorithms. Therefore, you may notice slight tracking, kerning, and layout discrepancies.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 TAB SHORTCUTS AHOY

To jump more quickly through the IE5 interface, look no further than the Tab button. To jump through links on a Web page, the Address bar, and the items on the Links bar, click Tab. Go too far? To jump backward, click Shift-Tab.

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New Apple firmware released: memory disappears; firmware less tolerant of some third party RAM modules

Apple has released firmware updates for the G4, iBook, slot-loading iMac, and FireWire PowerBook computers that has caused significant problems for a large number of users. We have been flooded with messages about installed RAM disappearing and about machines that refused to boot altogether. We believe that the new firmware is less tolerant of RAM performance, and RAM that may have performed just fine previously is instantly reclassified as unusable. If all the RAM fails the test at startup, the machine refuses to boot. At present we know of no foolproof way for users to test RAM modules before applying the update. We also do not know exactly what measurement is causing the firmware to disable the memory.

It should be noted that these updates are not officially required prior to installing Mac OS X. We recommend users hold off installing the firmware update unless they are certain all of their RAM will function properly afterwards. There is no way to revert the firmware back to the previous version. We have also received a large number of reports that confirm not everyone is affected. Thanks to everyone who sent us email, especially those we were not able to name.

The updates are:

Apple G4 Cube Firmware 4.1.8
Apple G4 Firmware 4.1.8 (for AGP G4s only)
Apple PowerBook Firmware 4.1.8 (FireWire units only)
Apple iBook Firmware 4.1.7
Apple iMac Firmware 4.1.7 (for slot-loading CD/DVD iMacs)

and can be found at http://asu.info.apple.com/

NOTE: As we discussed at the April ST MUG meeting, DIMMCHECK will allow you to check your RAM before you install the firmware upgrade so you can make sure you still have it afterwards! -AppleAngel

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USE F-KEYS TO OPEN APPLICATIONS

With Mac OS 9.1 (and OS 9 on some iBooks, iMacs, and newer PowerBooks), you can customize your keyboard's F-keys to launch applications or documents. (The F-keys, or function keys, are those keys at the top of your keyboard, and are labeled F1, F2, and so on.)

Start by opening the Keyboard control panel (Apple Menu, Control Panels) and clicking the Function Keys button. This will open a Hot Function Keys window that displays each F-key and the task assigned to it. Then, you simply drag an application or document to the slot next to the appropriate F-key. Alternately, you can click an F-key button in this window and then locate the application or document you want to assign to that key.

To remove an assignment, select it in the window and click the Clear button. You can also replace an assignment by simply dragging a new item to its slot.

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MAC OS CALLING ON SHERLOCK

By now, most of you know you can simply press Command-F to open Sherlock and begin searching for files on your hard drive. Once you've opened the Sherlock window, you can click the Internet button or choose Channels, Internet to begin searching the Web.

If you ask me (and the folks at Apple), that's one click too many to get you started searching the Web. That's why the Internet channel has its own keyboard shortcut: Command-H. Press this key combination, and the Sherlock window will open directly to the Internet channel.

By the way, both the Find and Search Internet commands show up under the Finder's File menu, so if you can't remember the key commands, just pull up the File menu and make your selection there.

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Microsoft Office WORD: CLEAR THE MOST RECENTLY USED FILE LIST

If you want to clear the list of most recently used files in Word, choose Tools, Options, and when the Options dialog box appears, click the General tab. Deselect the Recently Used File List option. Click OK. To reactivate the list, repeat the steps, this time selecting the Recently Used File List check box. Now the list is cleared but activated, so newly used files will appear in the list.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - CUSTOMIZE YOUR SEARCHING

The Search bar in IE5 is a peculiar animal. To see the bar in action, click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar (if you don't see the toolbar, click View, Toolbars, Standard buttons to display it). You can select whether you are searching for a Web page, business, or map (among other options). Enter a word in the search form, and click the Search button.

To adjust the search bar to your liking, click the Customize button. The Customize Search Settings dialog box appears. From here you can select which providers to search within a category. For example, under the "Find a Web page" section, you can choose which providers you want to use for Web searches.

You can also choose to remove a search category. Say you no longer want to see the map searching feature in the Search bar. Scroll down to the blue bar marked Find A Map. Deselect its checkbox. Or you may want to make one search service more prominent within its category. Just select the service you want to reposition and click the little up or down triangle. (Note that all categories may not appear when you run a search. If you don't see the one you're looking for, click the More link.)

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A Brighter Screen

Tip level: Intermediate

If you've mashed your PowerBook G4's Brightness button for a good long time and the screen still isn't bright enough for you, try this:

Open the Monitors control panel, click the Color button, and select PowerBook G3 Series from the list of ColorSync profiles. Although this profile doesn't display colors as accurately as the default Color LCD profile, it's certainly brighter.

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GNUTELLA OFFERS GNU WAY TO DOWNLOAD

Gnutella is a fairly new technology that lets users swap files over the Internet. It's similar to Napster in that you can use it to share MP3 files--but that's where the similarities end. Unlike Napster, which is, at its heart, a company and its proprietary services; Gnutella is simply a file-sharing protocol. Accordingly, a number of applications are available that will share files using the Gnutella protocol. (These applications are called Gnutella "servents," which is a combination of "SERVers" and "cliENTS" and underscores the fact that you can both download files from other users and offer your own files for others to download.)

A few Gnutella servents are available for Macintosh, including MP3 Rage (which offers this feature in addition to a handful of MP3 editing and playback options) and LimeWire (a dedicated Gnutella servent).

For more information on Gnutella, check out the Web sites listed below. Most of these sites will offer links to Gnutella servents, as well as general information and news about Gnutella.

Gnutelliums:

http://www.gnutelliums.com/

Gnutella News:

http://www.gnutellanews.com/

Knowbuddy's Gnutella Faq:

http://www.rixsoft.com/Knowbuddy/gnutellafaq.html

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Get into Condition

Tip level: Intermediate

A PowerBook G4's battery needs to be "conditioned" to get the best use out of it. To condition the battery, fire up your PowerBook with the power adapter unplugged and let the battery drain (a good way to do this is to open the Energy Saver control panel and in the Sleep Setup portion of the window set the "Put the system to sleep whenever it's inactive for" option to Never). Drain the battery once this way and your battery is conditioned.

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Microsoft WORD: THE MOST RECENTLY USED FILE LIST

Word keeps a list of the most recently used files at the bottom of the File menu (unless you tell it not to). Previous versions of Word warn you when a file on that list has been deleted and remove the file from the list. Nowadays, Word does not remove a deleted file from the list but leaves the file on the list because of the more widespread use of networks.

Remember, however, if you open a Word 6 file from File Manager or Windows Explorer and then close that file without saving it, the file will not appear in Word's most recently used file list. If you want a file to show up in the list, you must save it before you close it.

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Keep it Dark

Tip level: Intermediate

Owners of the new PowerBook G4 know that opening the PowerBook's lid causes the computer to wake from sleep. If you'd prefer that the PowerBook stay asleep when you flip it open, launch the Energy Saver control panel, click the Advanced Settings tab, and uncheck the "Wake when the computer is opened" option.

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MAC OS WAKE UP TO SILENCE

Are you annoyed by the fact your Mac beeps or chirps every time you wake it up from sleep? For PowerBook users in particular whose Macs not only sleep often, but do so in public this can be rather bothersome feature.

Of course, your Mac wouldn't be a Mac if you weren't able to customize every last little datelined this is no exception. To make your Mac wake without a sound, first open the Energy Saver control panel (look under Apple Menu, Control Panels). Then, choose Preferences, Notification. At the bottom of the resulting window, you'll find a Wakeup option. Deselect the checkbox next to "Play a sound when the computer wakes up," click the OK button to save your changes, and then close the Energy Saver window.

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Adobe¨ Photoshop CHANGING MONITOR BIT DEPTH

Many of us routinely change the bit depth and screen resolution of our monitors while working in Adobe Photoshop. Sometimes you want more color; sometimes you simply want a larger work area. Unfortunately, Adobe Photoshop 6.0 is prone to crashes, stalls, and display weirdness if you change your monitor settings while Photoshop is running.

Therefore, to avoid possible crashes and stalls, do not change your monitor's bit depth while running Adobe Photoshop 6.0. If you want to change your monitor's bit depth, close Adobe Photoshop 6.0, change the monitor settings, and re-launch Adobe Photoshop 6.0.

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Microsoft Office WORD: FILE NAMING WITH QUOTATION MARKS

In many Windows 95 applications, you can type a filename in quotes to give it a desired extension. However, various versions of Office respond in different ways. In Word 6, if you choose File, Save As, then type in "TEST.ABC" and tell Word that you want to save the file as Text Only, Word won't recognize what you're trying to do and will give you an error message. Word 6 doesn't recognize the quotes as valid. To save the file with a new extension in Word 6, simply type TEST.ABC.

If you type the name in (with quotes) in Word 7, Word will change the name to TEST.TXT as soon as you select Text Only. When you save a file with the filename in quotation marks, such as "TEST.ABC", if you then click in the Save As Type box and choose Text Only, the filename within quotation marks changes.

Word 97 will accept the new extension, and your file will be named TEST.ABC. Note that you can always save the file with the extension of your choice in Office 95 and Office 97 if you first select Text Only and then type in a name in quotes.

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Change colors in IE 5

All of Apple's new computers are designed with style in mind, so why shouldn't your browser match? Internet Explorer 5 lets you choose the address bar, scroll bar, and highlight colors to match your Mac. Select View/Browser Color to choose from iMac flavors and other Mac favorites. If you don't want the browser color to interfere with the color schemes of your favorite Web sites, go for Graphite or Powerbook Black--the most neutral choices.

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Netscape CONSULT EACH SEARCH ENGINE FOR SITE-SPECIFIC TIPS

There are a whole lot of search engines out there, and just about every one of them includes advice on how best to use their search tools. Usually there's a button or a link near the search text entry box that's marked "search tips," "help," or "hints." It's really worth taking a look at these tips--you may be surprised by what you find.

It turns out not every search engine likes the same treatment. Some search engines don't support Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) though most do. Some encourage natural language queries ("How old is Bill Clinton?") while other search sites are indifferent to them. You get the idea.

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Adobe RESETTING PREFERENCES

In our last tip, we explained that Adobe Photoshop 6.0 records many of its Preferences settings in the Registry of the Windows operating system. Previous Adobe Photoshop versions recorded the Preferences settings in a text file.

Recording the Preferences settings in a text file simplifies resetting Adobe Photoshop to its default settings. To do so, you delete the Preferences file. The next time you launch Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop rebuilds the Preferences set to factory defaults.

Obviously, you don't want to edit the Windows registry every time you want to return Adobe Photoshop to its default settings. To return Adobe Photoshop 6.0 to its default settings, press Shift-Ctrl-Alt as you start the application.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - SET AUTOSEARCH

You probably know that you can run Web searches right from the Address bar, thanks to IE5's Autosearch feature. Just enter the words you want to search for in the bar and click Enter. Or, if you are searching for only one word, precede it with a question mark, as in

? bunnies

You can also customize Autosearch by choosing the search engine you want to query when you enter words in the Address bar. First open the Search bar, by clicking the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When the bar opens, click the Customize button. Then click the Autosearch Settings button. Select the provider you want from the list that appears. Click OK twice to close the open dialog boxes, and you're done.

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Netscape Communicator TMP FILES AND NETSCAPE

A reader asks: "What are these files marked *.TMP in my Netscape Mail folder? Can I delete them? Where did they come from?"

TMP files are usually left over after a Netscape crash. It's fine to delete them--just make sure to close all Netscape windows beforehand.

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MAC OS NAPSTER: DOWNLOADING

In the previous tip, we looked at how you use Napster to search for, and download, MP3 files. Now, here are a few advanced tips to make your downloads go smoothly:

The Search feature is INCLUSIVE. In other words, it only finds matches that include EVERY word in the search lines. Use distinctive words to find what you're looking for. For example: type in "sly family" to find tracks by Sly and the Family Stone or "sly family." and "boogie" to find the song "Jungle Boogie" as played by Sly and the Family Stone (but not other versions). In the Search window, you have significant control over the files that will be found. For instance, if you don't wish to see any files that are encoded at rates lower than 128 kbps (the typical minimum for quality), you can easily set filters using the Advanced Search Options. Also, if you're on a high-speed connection (cable modem, DSL or T1 line), you may want to filter out the people who are connected by dial-up at 33.6 or 56K, since swapping files with them will likely take much longer than from your broadband buddies. If you do have a fast connection, you can set the preferences to handle multiple file downloads, allowing you to download a slew of songs simultaneously. If you're on a dial-up account, this is a bad idea--stick to one download at a time. If your search results are lengthy (they usually are) you can sort the results by connection speed, bitrate or any other category listed in the tabs at the top of the Results window. Just click on the desired tab.

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Arrange Your Toolbars

Internet Explorer makes it easy to arrange your toolbars however you like. Hide and unhide them by going to the View menu and choosing the toolbars you'd like to be visible. To rearrange the bars, just grab a toolbar's handle (on its left edge), and drag it wherever you like. To use your desktop real estate more efficiently, put two toolbars on the same line. To see obscured items, click the tiny arrows at the edges of the toolbars to scroll through the items. Or just double-click a toolbar's handle to have it slide completely out of the way (only the handle will remain in view). Double-click the handle again to bring the toolbar back.

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Adobe Photoshop THINGS YOU'LL NEED TO UPGRADE TO ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 6.0

Even though I think Adobe Photoshop is the ultimate imaging application, the upgrade process to the latest version can be frustrating. Before you jump through the upgrade hoops, take note of the following upgrade process and the items you'll need.

First, have the prior Adobe Photoshop version installation CD and the prior Adobe Photoshop serial number on hand. When you begin the installation, the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 installation program asks you to insert the Adobe Photoshop version CD-ROM you're upgrading. To insert the last Adobe Photoshop version, you'll have to remove the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 CD-ROM. Be sure to wait until the 6.0 installation program recognizes the previous Adobe Photoshop version before removing that CD-ROM. Then reinsert the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 CD-ROM to continue the installation.

The most important part of this CD-ROM shuffling is to be patient. Don't click any button on the Installation program until you hear the CD-ROM spin up. Also be watchful that the installation program of the previous version does not start automatically. This could interfere with Adobe Photoshop 6.0 installation program.

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Today's Tip: Thick CD Labels and Titanium PowerBooks

Tip level: Intermediate

Those lucky souls with Titanium PowerBooks may discover that when they insert a CD with a thick-ish label, the PowerBook is reluctant to suck in the CD and makes a horrifying sound while trying to run the CD. In extreme cases the disc may refuse to eject.

Apple is aware that there are alignment issues with the DVD drives found on some Titanium PowerBooks and will fix the problem if you allow Apple to hold your PowerBook for a week or more. If your schedule currently doesn't allow you to give up your PowerBook for that length of time, you might try this:

Burn a copy of that CD on a CD-R burner and use the label-less copy rather than the original disc.

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Netscape OPEN NEW PAGE WITHOUT CLOSING OLD ONE

You know you can click on a linked URL to go to it. But then the page you're looking at disappears. To open the new page without closing the old one, just click the URL and choose Open Link in New Browser Window. Now, if you like, you can return to the old page and continue reading it while the new page loads, and you can easily switch between the two.

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Adobe Photoshop CREATE ONLINE IMAGES IN 256 COLORS

When you design elements for an interactive interface, you cannot make assumptions about the operating system or the size and quality of the computer equipment. Therefore, play it safe and design the interface elements with your monitor set to a maximum of 256 colors and a maximum of 800x600 pixel resolution.

These limitations may sound extreme, but they will ensure that your interface design will work on high-end systems as well as very low-end systems. For ultimate compatibility, preview all of your interface images on a Windows and a Macintosh computer.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 STOP A PAGE FROM LOADING

Often a page that normally downloads quickly hangs up for no apparent reason. The Web server could be under an unusually heavy load. Or network traffic might gum up the works. In either case, it's often faster to stop the download and then click the link again. Just hit the Esc button to stop a download, or click the Stop button on the Standard Buttons toolbar.

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Today's Tip: View More Resolutions

Tip level: Intermediate

To see all the monitor resolutions available to your Mac from the Monitors Resolution control strip module, hold down the Control key while clicking on the module.

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Today's Tip: iTunes 1.0.x and Speakable Items Don't Mix

Tip level: Intermediate

If you have Speakable Items switched on in the Speech control panel, iTunes 1.0.x won't launch. To work around the problem either upgrade to iTunes 1.1 or switch off Speakable Items.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - SAVE A GRAPHIC YOU LIKE

As you zip around the Web, you may come across images you'd like to store on your hard drive for later viewing. Just click the image and choose Save Picture As. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the file. Then click Save.

Here's how to view the image later in your browser. Select the image with your mouse and drag it into an open IE5 window.

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Microsoft Office EXCEL: FORMULA DISPLAY SHORTCUT

We recently described how to display formulas rather than data in Excel cells. There is a very easy way to switch between displaying data and formulas--all you have to do is press Ctrl-~ (tilde). This combination acts as a toggle. The first time you press Ctrl-~, Excel displays formulas rather than data. Press the combination again, and Excel switches back to data.

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Netscape Communicator - DON'T OVERWRITE 4.7X WITH NETSCAPE 6

Since Netscape 6 is a new program and related to 4.7x in name and function only, it is not recommended that you install it over 4.7x. Specify a different location when installing 6. You may want to go back, and it will be easiest to do so if you don't overwrite 4.7x. Technically, version 6 is supposed to import all profiles (including their respective address books, bookmarks, and preferences) from 4.7x upon installation. However, several users have experienced problems with this supposed ability. But there is hope--more on this in the next few tips.

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MAC OS MP3 AND COPYRIGHTS

So, you've got yourself a copy of iTunes or SoundJam MP, and you're up and running with MP3 encoding and playback. Now, the next thing you want to do is hit the Net for more audio files. But first, there's that nagging question? Is this legal, this MP3 stuff?

Well, it's like this: Making MP3s of songs you own on CD or of audio files you've created yourself is perfectly in the cozy; however, trading MP3s of copyrighted music may be akin to trading tapes of your favorite albums with friends. Which is to say, it's still a gray area, especially where no cash is changing hands. It's extremely unlikely that the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) will show up at your door the second you download or send an MP3 file, but many record labels (and some artists) don't like this whole business and have been fighting to keep MP3 sites off the Internet.

Which brings us to Napster, next time.

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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP AND INTERACTIVE INTERFACES: DIMINISHED SHADOW

In our last tip, we described how to distinguish a clickable object in an interactive interface using the Drop Shadow layer effect. Obviously, if you are designing a clickable object, the object will have a click and a clicked (off and on) state.

As you may recall, to create the clickable (off) state, we suggested applying a Drop Shadow style to the shape's layer. To create the clicked state (on), simply diminish the Drop Shadow effect.

To do so, click the layer you wish to duplicate. Then choose Layer, Duplicate Layer. Now choose Layer, Effects, Drop Shadow. In the resulting dialog box, decrease the Distance, Blur, and Opacity settings roughly 25 percent. Then click OK. As you'll see, Adobe Photoshop decreases the size and intensity of the Drop Shadow around the shape so it appears the clickable object is closer to the interface background.

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Netscape Communicator - MAIL MESSAGE SOURCE CODE

A reader asks: "How do I get Netscape 4.7x to provide a mailable copy of the HTML source code for an incoming message?"

When you view the source code of a message (click View, Page Source) you can select the relevant parts with your mouse. Then press Ctrl-C to copy that section to the Windows Clipboard. When you're ready to forward that information, start a new message and click Ctrl-V to paste it into the message. Although there are no menus in the View Page Source window (and no click capability), the Ctrl-C shortcut still works. You might also try to forward the message in quoted form. Click the message and select Forward Quoted.

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Microsoft Office WORD: NAMING STYLES

A subscriber, Pat H., asks if there's a limit on how long you can make a style name. Yes, there is a limit, but the limit is 253 characters, which is plenty long enough to give meaningful names to your styles. Let's take a look at how you would create and name a new style.

Suppose you need a style that you use for a major portion of your everyday work. To create the style, choose Format, Style. When the Style dialog box opens, click New. You'll now be prompted for a name. Let's say you enter

Pat's special document style

Select the check box labeled Add To Template and click OK to record the style name. At this point, you can select your new style and click Modify to get the style the way you want it. When you're finished, click Apply to apply the new style and close the dialog box.

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 - TURN OFF SOUND AND PICTURES

Here's how to shave seconds off your browsing time by turning off pictures and sounds. Click Tools, Internet Options, Advanced. Scroll down to Multimedia. Then deselect the following:

Play animations
Play sounds
Show pictures

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Today's Tip: iTunes Compatible CD-RW Drives

Tip level: Intermediate

With the release of version 1.1, iTunes now works with some third-party CD-RW drives. Apple kindly includes a list of these drives in the iTunes 1.1 Read Me as well as on this website:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/compatibility/

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USE ALIAS ON THE DESKTOP

Of course, we don't like it when things go screwy on our Macs, but it happens sometimes. In some of these situations, systems glitches can take their toll on the desktop--which is why it's not a good idea to store important things directly on the desktop. Instead of putting those frequently used folders and files on the desktop itself, stash the originals somewhere on the hard drive. Then, make an alias of each item and put the aliases on the desktop. Now, if the desktop gets muddled, your original files are out of harm's way.

One more thing: To quickly make an alias, just select the appropriate file or folder, press Command-Option, and drag that icon onto the desktop. The original will stay put, and you can drop its alias any ol' place.

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Microsoft Office WORD: PUT YOUR LIST IN ORDER

Version 4.x When you make a list in a Word document, you have the option of sorting that list. Just use the mouse to select your list, and then choose Table, Sort Text. When the Sort Text dialog box opens, use the defaults and click OK. This will sort your text in ascending order.

You can choose to sort the text in descending order if that is what you need. Just select the Descending radio button in the Sort Text dialog box, and then click OK to continue.

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iTunes : Fill the Gap

Tip level: Intermediate

If you're unhappy with the length of time between one track and another on a CD you've burned with iTunes, here's how to reduce that gap:

Select Preferences from iTunes Edit menu and click the Advanced tab. In the resulting window, select a gap of one second (or zero seconds if the songs you're burning already have silence at the beginning and end) in the Gap Between Tracks pop-up menu and click OK.

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MAC OS MP3 AUDIO COMPRESSION RATES

If you started to use Apple's iTunes, or any other MP3 software, you're likely wondering how to get the best quality from your converted CD audio tracks. More accurately, you're probably looking for the most acceptable quality and reasonable file size.

MP3 files are promoted as CD-quality, but you're bound to lose some of that quality in the compression process. As always, there is a proportional relationship between file size and sound quality: The better the quality (bit-rate), the bigger the file. So what's an acceptable setting for MP3 conversion?

If you're encoding music (converting from CD audio tracks to MP3 files), 128 kbps (kilobytes per second) is generally considered to be adequate although some users prefer 160 kbps, which produces bigger files. At 128 kbps, you can guess-timate the size of MP3 files at roughly 1 MB per minute of music. Incidentally, if you find yourself using MP3 technology for storing voice files, like lectures, 64 kbps is adequate, since pristine quality isn't necessary. At this rate, you get about 4 minutes of audio for every 1 megabyte of file size. That's an hour lecture in about 16 MB.

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Netscape CONDUCT VANITY SEARCHES

Have you ever heard of a vanity search? That's what it's called when you enter your own name into a search engine and see how many listings come up. If this sort of behavior appeals to you, don't feel guilty--you're not alone!

Note that you'll get better results from many search engines if you surround your name with double quotation marks.

Netscape OPEN BOOKMARKS TO A SINGLE FOLDER

You probably have many Bookmarks organized into several folders. Rather than having all of these folders appear in the Bookmark list from the Navigator menu, you can select only one folder to appear. To do this, open the Bookmarks page (Ctrl-B), then select the folder. From the Bookmark menu, select Item, Set To Bookmark Menu Folder. The next time you access the Bookmark menu, only the Bookmarks in this folder appear. You can change this option as often as you like, depending on which folder you want to see most.

Netscape Communicator EXPORT AND IMPORT BOOKMARKS

A reader asks: "How do I transfer Communicator Bookmarks to another file so I can use them with a different browser?"

If you are speaking of Microsoft Internet Explorer, have no fear. MSIE can import bookmarks into its Favorites file--just click File, Import And Export. Follow the instructions to import links and settings from other browsers. To export Netscape bookmarks into a form usable by almost any HTML browser, in Netscape click Bookmarks, Edit Bookmarks. In the Edit Bookmarks window, click File, Save As. Choose a location for the Bookmarks file and give it a name. Netscape will export your list of Bookmarks to a single HTML file viewable in any Web browser.

Microsoft Office EXCEL: A NAVIGATION MACRO

This neat trick comes from subscriber Will F.: "I like to insert small pictures in my Excel worksheets to use as navigation buttons. For example, I insert a picture of a dollar sign near the top of my data columns. Then I assign a macro to the picture so that when I click it, Excel navigates to the row that contains the totals."

To do this, first record a macro to tell Excel which cell to go to when you click the picture. Choose Tools, Record, Record New Macro. When the Record New Macro dialog box opens, type in a name for your new macro. Now, click the target cell and then stop the recording (click the Stop button on the Record Macro floating toolbar).

Insert the picture now (choose Insert, Picture and select the picture you want to use). Click OK to continue. Click the picture and choose Assign Macro. Click your new macro to select it and then click OK.

Now when you move the mouse over the picture, the pointer will turn into the small hand icon. While the small hand is visible over the picture, click the mouse button once. Excel will move the insertion point to the cell you selected while you were recording the macro.

This week's browser tip: Use contextual menus (Internet Explorer 5)

Internet Explorer 5 lets Mac users take advantage of the Ctrl-click combination they can use in the Finder. Ctrl-click in a window to bring up a contextual menu that lets you (among other things) go back or forward, save a page to bookmarks, or view the source code to a page. You can also Ctrl-click a toolbar to customize it.

PowerBook: Faster Wake-Up

Tip level: Intermediate

To make your PowerBook wake more quickly from sleep, switch AppleTalk off prior to putting the PowerBook to sleep.

ADOBE Photoshop PHOTOSHOP AND INTERACTIVE INTERFACES

As an expert on the premiere imaging application on the market, you will be asked to create graphics for a variety of projects. Among the projects, interactive interfaces will be the most daunting. Consider the interface of your computer. Imagine the hours of thoughtful planning required to design the thousands of objects that make up the many buttons, windows, and menus. Multiply that by the hours of craftsmanship needed to actually create the objects, and you see how challenging making an interface can be.

Luckily, we can learn a lot from those who have designed before us. For example, when you create a clickable object in Adobe Photoshop, be certain the user can distinguish the clickable object from the background. There are several ways to accomplish this. The most popular is to apply light and shadow to the edges of the object so the object appears to lift off the interface background.

To create that three-dimensional illusion, use the Bevel and Emboss layer effect. To do so, choose Layer, New, Layer to create a new Layer. Then create the clickable object on the new layer. Finally, choose Layer, Effects, Bevel and Emboss. In the resulting dialog box, choose Inner Bevel from the Style menu. Then adjust the scope and depth of the Bevel and Emboss effect and click OK. As you'll see, Adobe Photoshop applies light and shadow to the shape so it appears to lift off the background.

Netscape HOW TO USE AN IMAGE FILE AS YOUR DEFAULT BACKGROUND

We've been talking about changing the background color of your Netscape browser, and it's worth mentioning that you can also use an image file as the browser background--though it would have to be a pretty pale and nondescript image to pass muster as an all-purpose background. Anything else would almost certainly induce dizziness and nausea.

On the other hand, it could be a fun trick to play on a coworker.

To use an image file as a background, choose Options, General Preferences and click the Colors tab. Under Background, select the Image File radio button, then click the Browse button to open the Select A Backdrop Image box. After you select the file you want to use, click Open. Click OK to close the Preferences box.

Now check your Netscape Mail to see exactly what you've wrought.

(To undo the damage, go back through the steps described and just delete the file name from the Image File text box, then click OK.)

MAC OS APPLE SYSTEM PROFILER

There's a handy little tool stashed away in your Apple Menu, and it will tell you all kinds of things about your Mac. It's called the Apple System Profiler--and that's pretty much what it does: shows a profile of your Mac. When you select this item from the Apple Menu, you're presented with a wealth of information about your Mac and the devices connected to it, as well as what applications are installed, how many system folders are on your computer, what kind of modem is installed, how much RAM is on hand, and on and on.

Apple System Profiler: For those times when you need to know.

Photoshop MORE ON BEVEL AND EMBOSS

In our last tip, we described how to distinguish a clickable object in an interactive interface using the Bevel and Emboss layer effect. Obviously, if you are designing a clickable object, the object will have a click and a clicked (off and on) state.

As you may recall, to create the clickable (off) state, we suggested applying an Inner Bevel style to the shape's layer. To create the clicked state (on), apply the Pillow embossed style to a duplicate layer.

To do so, click the layer you wish to duplicate. Then choose Layer, Duplicate Layer. Now choose Layer, Effects, Bevel and Emboss. In the resulting dialog box, choose Pillow Emboss from the Style menu. Then adjust the scope and depth of the Bevel and Emboss effect and click OK. As you'll see, Adobe Photoshop applies light and shadow to the shape so it appears the clickable object is recessed in the interface background.

Netscape REMOVE A DISTRACTING WEB PAGE BACKGROUND

Have you ever been frustrated by a Web page background that's so loud and busy, you can't read the text on the page? You can always send a cranky letter to the Webmaster, of course, but there's also a quick workaround to help you get your reading done.

To remove a distracting background, go to Options, General Preferences and click the Colors tab. At the bottom of the box, put a check in the box that says Always Use My Colors, Overriding Document. Click OK.

Back at the offending page, click Reload. You'll see the yucky background replaced by your default background, which is presumably a little easier on the eyes. Once you're ready to surf on, repeat the steps above, this time unchecking the box.

Most of us never heard of Claude Shannon, which is a pity. Because Shannon, who passed away last weekend at the age of 84, had an idea that changed the world forever ( http://one.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin1/flo?y=eBjX0CAyN0WN0fSEO ). The year was 1948. Shannon, a young Bell Labs scientist, reached the startling conclusion that all information could be expressed in binary format--as a series of 1s and 0s. Though the technology of the day wasn't advanced enough to take advantage of these findings, they eventually became the basis for digital technologies as diverse as modems, magnetic storage, the Internet, and satellite transmissions. Other impressive contributions in mathematics and cryptography followed. Yet Shannon, a distant relative of Thomas Edison, was perhaps best remembered within the scientific community for his wacky inventions, such as the rocket-powered Frisbee, and his freewheeling antics, such as riding his unicycle through the halls while juggling. Consider this an appreciation of a true original. Thank you, Claude Elwood Shannon, for all you've given us.

Steve Fox, editor in chief, CNET Networks

Microsoft Office POWERPOINT: CLIPART PICTURES IN CHARTS

When you work with charts in PowerPoint, you have some options that you don't have in Excel. For example, if you'd like to use some ClipArt pictures along with your pie chart (or other chart types), you can follow the procedure discussed here.

Although you can insert a ClipArt picture onto the slide and then drag it over the chart area, this doesn't attach the ClipArt to the chart in any way. To associate the ClipArt with the chart, first insert the ClipArt as you normally would (choose Insert, ClipArt and select a picture to insert). Once the ClipArt is present on the slide, click it to select it and then press Ctrl-X to cut the picture and place it on the Clipboard. Now, double-click inside the chart area and then choose Edit, Paste.

Although you can size the ClipArt picture and move it around inside the chart area, you can't move it outside the chart area. You'll notice, too, that the picture moves along with the chart.

Hello - OS 9.1 and iMac 333 do not play well together

I don't know if any of you have hit this yet, but after installing MacOS 9.1 on my iMac 333 I would get firmware errors that stopped the startup process. Apple's tech discussions, MacFixit and others have discussions on the topic but from what I have been able to determine, it seems that the MacOS 9.1 system files need to reside in the first 8 GB of the bootup disk or else you get the firmware error I described. Running Speed Disk on the affected drive solves this opportunity since it places the system files first. I spent the last two days working through this. Apple is not yet commenting publicly about this (from the reports I have seen) even though the problems have been reported back to MacWorld San Francisco. Just a heads up. :)

Today's Tip: iTunes and SoundJam May Not Mix

Tip level: Intermediate

You may notice that the iTunes extension is crossed out on startup if you have both iTunes and SoundJam installed on your Mac. To prevent this, disable the SoundJam extension by turning it off with Extensions Manager or Conflict Catcher or remove it from the Extensions folder. And yes, both programs will work if you disable this extension.

Today's Tip: Titanium PowerBook G4 Serial Number

Tip level: Intermediate

If you need to know your new Titanium PowerBook's serial number, you can find it in two different ways:

With the PowerBook up and running, open the Apple System Profiler (found under the Apple menu) and click the Production Information triangle in the System Profile tab to reveal the serial number.

If the PowerBook is not running, flip the PowerBook over, open the battery compartment, pull out the battery, and look for the serial number and Ethernet ID on the side of the compartment.

Microsoft Office POWERPOINT: COLORING CLIPART IN SLIDES

As we've discussed in the past, you can insert ClipArt pictures into PowerPoint slides and then recolor the pictures. But under some circumstances, you can inadvertently mess up colors in subsequent ClipArt pictures. Let's give this a try--then we'll talk about how to avoid the problem.

Open a blank PowerPoint slide and choose Insert, ClipArt. Select a picture with a lot of solid color--we used the U.S. Flag. Click the object and choose Recolor. When the Recolor Picture dialog box opens, select your picture's predominant color (we chose red) and then click the arrow at the right side of the New Color list. Choose a new color (such as green or light blue) and click OK.

Now we have a green, white, and blue flag. Let's say we now decide to use the Canadian Flag instead of the U.S. Flag. So, we double-click the picture to open the Clip Gallery. We find the Canadian Flag and double-click it to insert it into the slide in place of the U.S. Flag. The Canadian Flag is now green and white, rather than red and white.

The recolor operation is carried over when you insert a new picture this way. To insert a new picture without the format change, simply choose Insert, ClipArt and select the new picture. This new picture will retain its original formatting.

Netscape MIX CUSTOM BACKGROUND COLOR

Last time we talked about how to change Navigator's browser background color--but the colors in the default palette are often too dark to make a suitable background. It may be better to mix up a custom color setting yourself.

To do so, choose Options, General Preferences. Click the Colors tab. In the Background area, click the Custom radio button and click the Choose Color button. When the Color chart appears, click the Define Custom Colors bar.

In the big rainbow color box, click around a bit to see the variations. The color you're actually choosing will appear in the smaller Color/Solid box below. Now click the small arrow to the right of the graded color bar and drag it up near the top, where the colors are lightest, maybe about one-fifth or one-sixth of the way down. Click around in the big color box and you'll see paler colors appear in the Color/Solid box.

When you find a color you like, click OK to make your selection and close the Color dialog box. (As a safeguard, you can click Add To Custom Colors first to save this color for future reference.) Now click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

Microsoft Office EXCEL: ADD TALKING NOTES TO YOUR WORKSHEETS

You can add talking notes to your Excel cells if you have a microphone attached to your computer. All you have to do is click the cell to which you want to add the note and then choose Insert, Note. When the Cell Note dialog box opens, have your microphone ready and click Record to open the Record dialog box (the recorder controls). When you're ready to record, click Record and speak into the microphone. When you finish your talking note, click Stop and then click OK.

Back in the Cell Note dialog box, you can click Play to see how your note sounds. If you're happy with it, click Add and then click OK to close the dialog box. With the sound note in place, move the mouse cursor over the cell and the sound will start playing. When you move the mouse away from the cell, the sound will stop.

The procedure we've described assumes you have a working sound system installed in your computer. We can't cover all the possible setup configurations that may cause you problems, but getting no sound from the microphone is the most common problem. If this happens to you, open the Volume Control (it's in the taskbar--its icon resembles a small speaker). Make sure the Microphone input isn't muted and the volume isn't set to zero. If you don't have a microphone input, choose Options, Properties and select the check box labeled Microphone. Click OK and now you can set the microphone volume and make sure it isn't muted.

MAC OS HURRY UP AND START UP ALREADY

THIS IS WAY COOL!

If you're the finger-drumming, teeth-gnashing type, waiting for your Mac to restart is probably a long and painful experience. The newer G4 Macs have certainly improved their startup times, but if you've got a trusty older machine, in particular, you can speed up restarts by disabling your Mac's memory test. You see, every time you start your Mac, the OS scans the RAM to make sure everything's hunky-dory. If you opt not to test your RAM each and every time, you'll cut out a good percentage of startup time. (You can always turn the test back on if your Mac starts acting cranky.)

To disable the RAM test at startup, your first press Command-Option as you open the Memory control panel. (Go to the Apple Menu and choose Control Panels, Memory.) When the Memory control panel opens, it will display a Startup Memory Tests option, which you can toggle on and off.

Photoshop CHANGING THE LOOK OF YOUR GUIDES

By default, Adobe Photoshop guides appear as light blue lines. For most users, this works fine. However, if your image contains a great deal of light blue, this may not work for you. Fortunately, Photoshop allows you to customize the appearance of your guides.

To change the appearance of your guides, choose Preferences, Guides And Grid. In the resulting dialog box, under Guides, choose a color from the Color drop-down list. While you're at it, you can also change the style of your guides. Choose Lines or Dashed Lines from the Style drop-down list. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Run iTunes on Mac OS 8.5

Peeved that iTunes, Apple's new MP3 player/recorder, requires Mac OS 9.0 or newer? You're not alone. The folks at "The Worm in the Apple" web site were so ticked off that they decided to fight back. With their over-the-weekend release of the "iTunes Mac OS 8 Patch", they have taken the first step in winning their rebellion.

The freeware iTunes Mac OS 8 Patch is a very simple application that alters iTunes 1.0 or 1.1 so that it will run on Mac OS versions 8.5 or higher instead of 9.0 or higher. Mac OS versions older than 8.5 are incompatible because they use a different appearance manager than the newer versions of the Mac OS.

There are a few caveats, however; even with the patch, the CD burning and MP3 player connectivity features of iTunes do not work under Mac OS 8.5 or 8.6.

To download iTunes Mac OS 8 Patch, visit "The Worm in the Apple".
http://homepage.mac.com/wormintheapple/Downloads.html