Quick Tips Wave Goodbye, Google Wave

Wave Goodbye, Google Wave



It appears this horse never got out of the stable. Google Wave, Google's real-time communication app that allowed the input of live text, dragging and dropping of images and more, all in your web browser, has been killed off quietly.

Here's part of the announcement from Google's Official Blog:

"...when we launched our developer preview of Google Wave, a web app for real time communication and collaboration, it set a high bar for what was possible in a web browser.

...despite these wins, and numerous loyal fans, Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have liked. We don't plan to continue developing Wave as a standalone product, but we will maintain the site at least through the end of the year and extend the technology for use in other Google projects."

So, if you were a fan of Google Wave, you have until the end of the year to say goodbye to it. Open Source developers will be happy to know, however, that the central parts of the code that allowed for some of Wave's cooler features are available for further development.

So, maybe some future innovation of Google Wave will peek its head out in the future.

Quick Tips Windows 7 Search Options

Windows 7 Search Options

If you're a Windows 7 user, then you've probably noticed how awesome the Search Box is. You can find just about anything by typing a name into the box; be it files, programs, commands, etc, but did you know there are ways to customize your search?

Click Start, then in the Search Box type Folder Options.

Now click on the Search Tab.



From here, you can set options on what to search for, how to search and what to include during your search. Fidget around in here until your satisfied, but remember that you can always restore the default search settings by clciking the Restore Defaults button at the bottom of the window.

Sweet!

Quick Tips Find the Version Number

Find the Version Number

Okay, here's a quick tip that may only apply to a few, but it's one that anyone can try. If you're ever in need of knowing the version number of a program (For example, 3.5.3 as seen below), then all you need to do is click Help>About(Program name).





Most programs have this information readily available and it comes in handy if you're looking for a specific version or patch for a program. Give it a try in your favorite program today!

Today's Feature Signs of Malware

Signs of Malware

You all know there are millions of malware infections out there today. It seems as if there are tons of new infections that pop up everyday. In the past, I've written about how antivirus software and anti-spyware software don't always find all of the infections on your computer. After writing that article, I received several e-mails asking, "How do I know if I have a virus?" Well, today, I will cover some of the signs your computer will show if it's possibly infected with a virus or some other type of malware.

1.) Your computer slows down majorly. If your system slows down drastically, you may have an infection. Viruses and adware use resources on your computer. They can destroy files, send spam e-mail, redirect your browser and many other things that will slow your computer down.

2.) Internet browser crash. If your Internet browser stops working or shuts down often, you may be infected. Since most malware programs use the Internet to spread themselves, they will affect the performance of your browser. If your Internet browser just starts closing with no warning, you need to check for viruses.

What is "Safe mode"?

Q:
What is "Safe mode"?

A:
Safe mode is a Windows maintenance mode where only the bare minimum of drivers are loaded. You don't have access to CD ROMs, printers, or other non-essential devices.

It's helpful to use this mode when you are having problems with your PC. For example, maybe you just installed an awesome new video card, but in all the excitement loaded the wrong driver for it. This in turn caused your video display under windows to be non-existant. If you go into Safe mode, you can fix it.

I also use it to help find problems with programs. If I get lots of "illegal operation" messages, I try running the program in safe mode to see if the program itself is the problem. If the program runs fine in safe mode, I can assume I have another program or driver that's interfering with the program's operation and causing the error. (Note that not all software runs in Safe mode - especially more robust programs, but it's still worth a shot).

To get to Safe mode, press the F8 key when Windows starts to boot. You have to do this BEFORE you see the first "Windows" screen. I start tapping away at mine when as soon as I get by the BIOS startup screen or the manufacturer's splash screen. Experiment and you'll get it.

Q:
In Windows XP is there any ways I can add Notepad to my right-click "Send to" menu?

A:
But of course! Some time or another you will have some kind of a file that you know is just plain text. If you do it a lot, then you know that it can be kind of a pain to keep going into the Start menu and opening Notepad (the simple text editor that comes with Windows) and browse to the file each and every time. This tip will show you how to open the file in Notepad all in one shot – by using the "Send To" function.

Okay. Where is "Send To"? You know when you right-click on a file somewhere on your computer and you right-click a folder to get it to do something quickly? Say you want to print a document, copy a document to another folder, if you read the list, "Send To" is an option. Right-click it.

Quick Tips Gone For Good!

Gone For Good!

Sure, you can hold the Shift key when you delete a file to skip the recycle bin just like this tip shows, but what if you're really, really sure when you delete stuff?

Follow me, Windows 7 users!

Just right-click on your recycle bin and select Properties. In the resulting window you'll see an option that says: "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted." If you think you're ready to handle the option for permanent deletion, then select it and press OK.



Now whenever you delete something it's gone for good!

Be careful with this one!

Quick Tips Copying the Links

Copying the Links

Have you ever visited a Web site that you just loved and you knew you had to share it with someone else? Maybe the site had an awesome picture on it or maybe even a video you wanted to share. Either way, how can you manage it so your friend can see the site? Well, there's a couple of things you can do and they're both so easy!

First, you can just do a simple copy and paste. Go up to the address bar in your Web browser, highlight the link, right click on it and choose Copy. Then go to your e-mail program and open up a brand new message box. Place your cursor in there, right click again and click on Paste. The Web link will then appear in the e-mail. You can then write a little message to your friend and tell them to click on the link to see the site. If you want to paste the link in another program (like Word, for instance), just do the same exact thing.

Now, if you are on a site and you see a link within it that you want to share with someone, right click it and choose Copy Shortcut or Copy Link Location. You can then go and paste that link in an e-mail or wherever you'd like (just like I explained above). You can also use this method to copy a photo link from a Web site. If the picture has a link included with it, you can right click it and choose the same options. Then go and paste it and everyone you send it to will be able to see the image. Pretty cool, huh?!