New York (Nov 16) -- Old newspaper articles are a great resource, regardless of whether you're searching for your family history, or writing a school paper. 

 

Even if you're just curious about historical events like the Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the Battle of the Bulge, or the sinking of the Titanic, there's nothing like actually seeing the headlines and stories from the newspapers of the day. Even the old advertisments are fascinating.  Curious to know the price of gasoline in 1915, or the cost of new shoes in the town where your mother grew up?  You'll be amazed at what shows up as you use the internet to browse old newspaper archives.  They're online, and easy to use, and best of all, a lot of them are absolutely free.... full article

 

Washington, DC (Nov 6) -- You may think that a cracked or broken screen on your laptop means it's time to trash the whole thing and buy a new computer. But actually, it's not that hard to remove the old screen and replace it with a brand new LCD screen at a surprisingly low cost. All you need are some good, clear instructions.

 

Head to beststuff.com for an excellent overview of screen replacement in their article "Broken Notebook Screen? Replace It and Save Money". See Resources, below, for a direct link.  Next, visit ScreenTekInc.com to find out exactly what replacement screen you need for your laptop, and what it will cost. Use the screen finder tools at the left of their page to identify the screen you'll need....full article

 

Boston (Oct 9) -- If your LCD screen has a stuck or dead pixel (a point on the screen that is always lit or always dark), it is usually due to a transistor malfunction or uneven distribution of liquid in the liquid crystal display (TFT LCD). This can often be fixed.

Steps

Software Method

1. Try running pixel fixing software (see Sources and Citations). Stuck pixels can often be re-energized by rapidly turning them on and off. If this fails, complete the following steps.

Pressure Method

1. Turn off your computer's monitor.
2. Get yourself a damp washcloth, so that you don't scratch your screen.
3. Take a household pen, pencil, screwdriver, or some other sort of instrument with a focused, but relatively dull, point. A very good tool would be a PDA stylus.
4. Fold the washcloth to make sure you don't accidentally puncture it and scratch the screen.
5. Apply pressure through the folded washcloth with the instrument to exactly where the stuck pixel is. Try not to put pressure anywhere else, as this may make more stuck pixels.
6. While applying pressure, turn on your computer and screen.
7. Remove pressure and the stuck pixel should be gone. This works as the liquid in the liquid crystal has not spread into each little pixel. This liquid is used with the backlight on your monitor, allowing different amounts of light through, which creates the different colors....full article 

Washington, DC -- Anti-virus programs, software firewalls, registry checkers, and the like can cost a pretty penny. Or...you can get really good protection software for your computer, absolutely free. Here's how.

 

AVG Free has a very good reputation as a powerful yet unobtrusive anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware program, and as the name tells you, it's available free. Download it from free.avg.com  During installation, you'll have the opportunity to include (or exclude) some features like a toolbar, and other non-essential items...your choice.

 

Online Armor Free is a personal firewall program that is highly regarded. It can prevent malware that does get on your system from sending hijacked information off your computer. This is commercial software, and the free version is somewhat hard to find, but you can download it at find.pcworld.com/61329 ...full article

New York --  The Internet has proved a powerful equalizer for small businesses. But entrepreneurs can't just build Web sites these days--they have to build great ones that truly snag viewers and turn them into paying customers.

"For many businesses, a Web site is the first way that your clientele will look at you--even if it's just to find your address and phone number," says Rand Fishkin, founder of Seattle-based search engine optimization consulting firm SEOmoz, which aims to increase the odds that search engines will happen upon a given site. "The quality of your site is often a measure of the quality of your business."

While most entrepreneurs probably should farm out the programming of their sites, they shouldn’t turn over the design process altogether. Getting the biggest return on your online investment hinges on understanding what works and what doesn’t, so you can give the coders as much smart direction as possible....full article

Washington DC -- One of the pinch points in your home wireless network can be your wireless router. Newer operating systems like Windows Vista are not always fully compatible with routers from even a few years back. The wrong router can slow down your internet experience. Here's how to check.  Check your systems. If you're running a Windows computer with XP or Vista, you should check to see if your wireless router is fully compatible. Head to the website for the Internet Connectivity Evaluation Tool... full article

Well, this is just a test for starters, to see if I can get this page showing on my website.

 

wish me luck.