It's easy to connect to a wireless network…

Outlook: Automatically add holidays to your Calendar  
On the Tools menu, click Options, click Calendar Options, and then click Add Holidays.

Outlook: Check an e-mail alias against the names in your address books  
To immediately resolve an e-mail alias in the To, Cc, or Bcc box, press CTRL+K.

Outlook: Save multiple attachments at one time  
Open the message. On the File menu, click Save Attachments. Click OK, and then click the folder where you want to save the attached files. Click OK.

Outlook:  Do you travel between time zones?  
Add a second time zone and switch between time zones for all Windows-based programs. Click Swap Time Zones in the Time Zone dialog box. On the Tools menu, click Options, Calendar Options and the Time Zone.

Internet Explorer: Add Favorites with One Keystroke

You can quickly add a Web page to your Favorites folder with a single keystroke. The page is automatically added to your Favorites list without any further input from you.
To add to your Favorites list with one keystroke Press CTRL+D

Internet Explorer: Opening a Web Page in a New Window

When surfing the Web, sometimes you might want to check out a Web page and at the same time stay on the page that gave you the link in the first place.  Simply press and hold down the SHIFT key while you click the link. The page will open in a new Internet Explorer window.

Need to look at two Web pages side by side? That's easy too. To view any open windows side by side, right-click an empty part of the taskbar (the bar at the bottom of your screen), and click either Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically.

Vista: Change the Start menu to Classic view

The Classic view of the Start menu might be familiar if you've used earlier versions of Windows.

Vista: Using Windows Sidebar

You can customize Windows Sidebar by hiding it, keeping it on top of other windows, adding and removing gadgets from it, detaching gadgets to place them on the desktop and more. There are a variety of Sidebar gadgets available from games to productivity tools.

Blackberry: Moving around your email message list

• Move to the top of a message list > Press T
• Move up the screen > Press the Shift key + Space key
• Move down the screen > Press the Space key
• Move to the next date > Press N
• Move to the previous date > Press P
• Move to the bottom of a message list > Press B
• Move to the next unopened item > Press U
  

Blackberry: Basics

• Exit a screen or move back a page in the browser > Press Escape key
• Return to Home screen > Press End key
• Switch applications >Hold Alt key and press the Escape key.  Continue to hold Alt key and select application. Release Alt key.
• Select or clear a check box >Press Space key

iTunes: Right-Click Shortcuts

You can right-click songs, playlists, column headings, and many other items in iTunes to do certain tasks more easily. For example, to see all the playlists that include a particular song, right-click the song, then scroll down to Show in Playlist.

iTunes: Playlists from Albums

To quickly create a playlist from selected songs, select the songs in your library and then choose File > New Playlist from Selection.

iTunes: Party Shuffle

Let’s get the party started. And just as important — let’s keep it going. iTunes Party Shuffle takes over as DJ, so you can relax and enjoy your party. Open iTunes > Preferences (Windows — Edit > Preferences), click Show Party Shuffle, and then click OK. Select Party Shuffle from the Source List and iTunes creates a random playlist from music in your library. If you like you can change the source (at the bottom of Party Shuffle playlist) from Library to a select playlist.

More Party Shuffle options let you choose to see the last 5-100 songs played or none at all, as well as the next 5-100 songs that will play. Another nifty option lets you direct Party Shuffle to play higher-rated songs more often. Using these options, you can add, remove, and rearrange songs in the random playlist on the fly, leaving you with an awesome playlist and more time to party.

iTunes: Quickly Add Songs from CDs

To quickly add a song from a CD to an existing playlist, insert the CD, then drag the song from the list of CD tracks to the playlist. The song is imported into your library and added to the playlist. To add a song from a CD to a new playlist, drag the song from the CD to the white area below the items in the Source List. The song is imported into your library and added to a new playlist.

Mac: Folders to Add to Your Dock

Adding folders to the right side of your dock can be a real timesaver, and two of the most popular folders to add to the dock are your home folder and your Applications folder. Another thing you might consider, rather than putting your entire Applications folder on your dock, is to create a new folder and put in aliases of just the applications and system add-ons (such as the Calculator, etc.) that you really use. Then you can access these by Control-clicking on the folder in the dock and a pop-up menu will appear that looks a lot like the Apple menu from OS 9.

Mac: Create Your Own Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are such huge timesavers, but sadly, not all Finder commands have them. But they can, because you can create your own. Here’s how: Go under the Apple menu, to System Preferences, and choose Keyboard & Mouse. When the dialog appears, click on the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, then click the plus (+) sign at the bottom left of the dialog. Another dialog will appear. Choose Finder from the Application pop-up menu, and then type the exact name of the menu command you want to add a shortcut for. Now type the shortcut you want to use and click the Add button. It’s that simple.

Mac: The Secret Screen Capture Shortcut

You probably already know the Command-Shift-3 shortcut for taking a screen capture of your entire screen, and you may even know about Command-Shift-4, which gives you a crosshair cursor so you can choose which area of the screen you want to capture. But perhaps the coolest, most-secret hidden capture shortcut is Control-Command-Shift-3 (or 4), which, instead of creating a file on your desktop, copies the capture into your Clipboard memory, so you can paste it where you want.

Mac: Drag-and-Drop Desktop Printing

Want the ability to print a document right from your desktop (without opening the application first)? Go under the Apple menu, under System Preferences, and choose Print & Fax. When the preference pane appears, click on the Printer Setup button, and when the Printer Info dialog appears, press Command-L to show the Printer List dialog.

Your printer will appear in this dialog. Click on it, then go up under the Printers menu (in the menu bar) and choose Create Desktop Printer. A standard Open/Save dialog will appear asking you where you want to save it. Click Save and an icon for your printer will appear on the desktop. To print a document, just drag-and-drop it on this icon. Some documents, such as TextEdit files and PDFs, will go straight to the printer. Other files will launch their default application and open the Print dialog.

Q: I am buying a new computer. What are the miminum system requirements?
A: The type of computer you buy is determined in large part by the way you intend to use it. For most users, email and Internet browsing is the extent of thier usage. If this is the case, get a PC with 1GB of RAM, or system memory. Stay away from Intel Celeron processors - they simply do not have enough horsepower and will be sluggish as a result. Instead, go with an Intel Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo processor. Beware of teaser prices: the $399 computer you found on the web is likely a Celeron that you will be unhappy with.

If you plan use the PC for photos, movies or graphic design then you will need a more powerful PC. Consider buying more RAM and as fast a processor as your budget allows. In the world of computers, you definitely get what you pay for.

Q: I am considering switching from PC to Mac. Is this a difficult task?
A: No, switching (or migrating) from Windows to Mac is becoming increasingly simple. To their credit, Apple has made great strides in creating programs that are compatible with Windows. For example, Office for Mac is directly compatible with Microsoft Office. So once on the Mac, you can open all of the documents and spreadsheets you created in Windows. There are also programs like Parallels and Boot Camp, that let you run Windows on your Mac.

Q: What is involved in switching from PC to Mac?
A: The main concern when migrating is getting your data (e.g. pics, docs, email, address book) from Windows to Mac. The ease of migration depends entirely upon which programs you used in Windows and which ones you intend to use on the Mac.

Q: How often should I backup my data?
A: The rule of thumb is "How much data can you stand to lose?" While it may sound harsh, it is quite true. If you backup only once per month, there is a chance you can lose up to 1 month of data. Depending upon your usage, that may be acceptable. But we recommend performing a complete bkacup weekly. With the cost of external hard drives falling, there is really no reason not to backup often.

Q: I hear alot about 'spyware'. What is it and how can I protect myself from spyware?
A: Spyware is software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's consent. Spyware can range from annoying (e.g. popups, sluggish computer) to malicious (browser hijacking, stealing personal data).

Antispyware programs work in a manner similar to antivirus programs: they scan your computer looking for known offenders. The key is to keep these programs up-to-date. The protection they offer is only good as thier last update.

There are a number of spyware removal programs available. We have had great results with AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy.
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