North Dakota State University Extension Service - Burke County |
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Tips and Tricks For Your PC |
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November 3, 2004 Computer Maintenance One of the simplest things you can do to help keep your computer running well is to keep it clean. This time I’m not talking about cleaning out temp files or cookies, well, maybe the kind you eat. Dust is a major problem for computers because it plugs up fans and vents and coats the internal parts where it acts like insulation keeping in the heat. When electronic components operate they generate heat and when that heat is not dissipated the components overheat and function poorly or fail entirely. A can of compressed air from your favorite computer or office supply store can be your computers best friend. Simply blow out the vents and fan intakes on a regular basis. If you feel up to it you can even remove the case or side covers to blow off the motherboard and other internal components. Also make sure your computer has plenty of ventilation space. I often see computers placed inside closed computer desk compartments with just a small hole in the back for the cords. If your desk is like this, make sure you have the front door open when the computer is operating. Having it closed up may keep out some of the dust but it holds in the heat which is the real enemy.
If you are interested in the Four Bears Bridge project or have been listening to the news about Mount St Helens here are a couple of web cams you might find interesting. http://www.fourbearsbridge.com/ http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/ Listening To Music CD’s On Your Computer Do you listen to music CD’s while working on your computer? Have you tried it but were annoyed by computer sounds when opening and closing programs and at other times? It’s easy to shut off those computer sounds. If you have a speaker icon in the lower right corner of your screen, double click it to open your volume control panel (single clicking opens only the volume slide). One of the control slides is for Wave sounds. Since all your computer sounds are Wave files, checking the “mute” box for waves will shut them off without affecting your CD music. To turn them back on just uncheck the “mute” box by clicking it again. If you can’t find you volume control on the right side of your task bar you will have to go to “start”, “control panel”, “sounds and audio devices”, under the “volume” tab look for the “device volume” and click on “advanced”. That should open the same volume control panel where you can mute the wave files. If you’re still unsure of what to do try this link and watch the video clip. http://imgsrv.worldstart.com/videotips/index.htm
Although many of the trees in the area have dropped their leaves there are still a few fall colors around. If you want to really capture those colors to their best effect try snapping them around sunrise or sunset. The “warm” sunrise/sunset colors really enhance the foliage. Another option is on an overcast day. Try to stay away from midday shots under bright sun. The bright sun tends to “wash out” colors and the shadows will be extreme. Sunrise/sunset shots will mean long shadows but they will not appear completely black and will add texture to the photo instead of hiding detail. I’ve taken good shots on full sunshine days but those that I’ve taken under a light overcast or in the morning or evening are much richer. You can play around with photo editing software to enrich drab or washed out photos but it’s better to start with a good photo. Another thing you might try is a polarizer. They can be fitted to most cameras, film and digital. Just like polarizing sun glasses they will take out much of the glare. They are especially important in bright light conditions but they can also be used in lower light. Remember to include a subject in your photo. Fall colors are great but your photo will be more interesting if you include a subject other than just trees and leaves. Your subject can be almost anything, a person, a pet, on old building or piece of machinery, even a tree with an unusual trunk or branch. You just need something to break up the background of color, beautiful as it might be.
Internet Surfing Tip Do you have a mouse with a scroll wheel? When you are surfing the web with Internet Explorer try holding down the SHIFT key while turning your scroll wheel back forward and back. It will scroll through the webpages you’ve just visited. KidzMouse KidzMouse is a computer mouse designed for small children. It is much smaller than a normal mouse and needs only a gentle squeeze instead of a hard click. A really neat feature is that you can leave your regular mouse attached to your computer. Just plug this one into an open USB port. Your child or grandchild can have their own really cool mouse and if you are playing a game with them or helping them you can still use yours. They come in a variety of Sesame Street, Disney and other children’s themes. I’ve seen them priced from $10.95 to $29.95. If you can’t find one at your favorite computer supplier just try doing a search online for “KidzMouse”. I found several online sources through Google.
Dan Folske |
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