Ten Technology Tips You Can Use Today

1. Use a Personal Firewall for Free. Windows XP has a software firewall, but you have to turn it on. Right click on My Network Places and choose Properties. Right click on your connection (e.g. Local Area Connection). Under Properties, choose Advanced, and then click the box for “Protect My Computer.” That was easy and obvious, right? A better, free option is ZoneAlarm. It is crazy not to use some form of software and/or hardware firewall.
2. Get E-mail Notice of Microsoft Security Issues. Microsoft has put much more effort into security issues. A great way to keep up with security issues is to subscribe to Microsoft’s e-mail newsletter on security issues.http://register.microsoft.com/subscription/subscribeme.asp?id=166.
3. Eliminate Jaggy Fonts on Laptop or LCD screens. A simple setting change will smooth out jaggy edges on certain fonts. Right-click any where on the Windows desktop screen and choose. Under the Appearance tab, click on the Effects button. Under “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts,” select ClearType.
4. Turning Off Autocomplete. Autocompletion can be either a welcome feature or a source for potential embarrassment, especially in your browser. As you type in a URL, a drop down menu appears showing URLs you have previously visited. If you use a browser in front of an audience, this “feature” provides an infinite number of ways to embarrass yourself. Once again, the Internet Options choice under the Tools menu in Internet Explorer comes to your rescue. Select the Content Tab, click on the Autocomplete button in the Personal Information section and uncheck all of the boxes and clear the information. Be very careful of any setting that saves or automatically furnishes your passwords or personal information.
5. Get a Map for a Contact’s Address in Outlook. Here’s an easy way to get a map to help you get to a contact’s location. Open up the contact, select the address, and click on the “Display Map or Address” under the Actions menu. If you are connected to the Internet, Outlook will retrieve a map for that address.
6. Take an Online Training Class. Microsoft has accumulated a large number of free online training courses with tons of useful information. An example of a course with useful tips for Outlook can be found athttp://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC010435841033&CTT=98.
7. A Quick Cleanup for Your Start Menu. Your Start Menu can get clogged up with items that Windows thinks that you want. Clean it up by right-clicking on selections you don’t want to see and choose the “remove from list” option.
8. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Open an E-mail Attachment That You Are Not Expecting. A recent survey of security experts named opening email attachments as the number one security sin, by a wide margin. It doesn’t matter whether the attachment is from someone you know or don’t know. Today’s viruses send copies of themselves to e-mail addresses they harvest from an infected computer. As a result, an attachment from a friend may be the most dangerous attachment to open. The best practice is to make sure that your friend or colleague actually sent you an attachment and what it is. 
9. Install the Google Toolbar. If, like most Internet users, you use Google as your major search engine, install the Google toolbar. It adds a search box in your browser toolbar and offers a number of helpful features, including a very effective pop-up ad blocker. 
10. Using the FindLaw Research Pane in Word 2003. Here’s a cool feature in Word 2003 that gives you direct access to FindLaw.com. Under the Tools menu, select Research, then the Research options button and then click on the Add Services button. Enter this URL in the address field:http://services.findlaw.com/msresearch/Registration. Click on the Add button and follow the ensuing prompts to finish.