Here's A Quicken Tip
Deleting downloaded transactions
Every now and then, your downloaded transactions will get out of synch with what's in your register. For example, if you've just activated online services for an account you've reconciled manually, Quicken downloads transactions that you've already reconciled.
The program doesn't check reconciled transactions for matches, so older transactions show up with a New status. At that point, you don't need to accept the downloaded transactions, because they duplicate the ones you've already reconciled.
To delete a duplicate downloaded transactions, simply select the transaction in the Downloaded Transactions tab, click Edit, and then choose Delete from the drop-down menu. In the confirmation dialog box that appears, click Yes. Quicken removes the downloaded transaction without adding it to the account register. (Unfortunately, you have to delete downloaded transactions one at a time.)
Here's A Free Software Giveaway
iolo Search and Recover 5
Get the full version for free
It's vital that you have a file recovery tool installed. And not just any random piece of undeleting freeware, either: only a professional solution like iolo Search and Recover will do. We're giving you the full current version, worth $39..95.
The Recycle Bin is a handy first line of defense against accidental file deletions, but it's not perfect. There are many situations where you can delete something and not have it show up in the bin later, which is why it's vital that you have a file recovery tool installed. And not just any random piece of undeleting freeware, either: only a professional solution like iolo Search and Recover will do.
It's always a very bad idea to carry on working with a drive that contains important deleted material, for instance, in case you overwrite them. Most undelete programs just warn you about this. Search and Recover also provides the ability to make an image of the drive, freezing its state at that point and ensuring you'll lose no more data. The program can compress this image to save space, then mount it in Explorer as a virtual drive and scan it for your lost files.
Search and Recover is more intelligent than most of the competition, for example recognizing that files like TemporyJunk.tmp, stored in the \Temp folder, probably won't interest you. Sensible (though optional) filtering of results reduces all the usual clutter and means you see only the most important data.
The program can also scan hard drive sectors to recover damaged partitions or other files whose index data has been lost. It has specific scans for pictures and movies or sounds and sounds that can play previews of files before you undelete them. And an email undelete tool can recover messages deleted from Outlook (97 or later), Outlook Express (5 or later), Thunderbird (1.5 or later) and more, a surprising but very welcome bonus.
SERIAL CODE
Point your browser at www.iolo.com/casr to get your serial code
FTC Warns Of Increase In Internet Scams
Commission says scammers taking advantage of woes in financial markets
E-mail scams that "phish" for personal information may increase amid the current financial crisis, the Federal Trade Commission warned consumers Thursday.
Separately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that appears to be from the government agency. Its subject line reads, "Funds wired into your account are stolen."
"Scammers are taking advantage of upheavals in the financial marketplace to confuse consumers into parting with valuable personal information," the FTC said in an advisory note on its Web site.
Phishers send e-mails disguised as being from an official institution, such as a bank or mortgage company. The agency said consumers should take extra caution in responding to any e-mails that look as if they are from financial institutions because of the increased likelihood of scams.
"These messages may be from 'phishers' looking to use personal information — account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers — to run up bills or commit other crimes in a consumer's name," the FTC said.
That, according to the FDIC, is what the e-mail that appears to be sent from its offices attempts to do.
"Recipients should consider the intent of the executable file as a malicious attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to online banking services or to conduct identity theft," FDIC said in a statement on its Web site.
Almost no banks or financial institutions request that type of information from their customers.
The FTC issued a guide to help consumers "stay on guard" against these types of scams. It can be read on the Web at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt089.shtm
10 Tips For Taking Better Pictures
With the holidays just around the corner, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to capture memorable moments with your camera. Whether it’s the family gathering together for Thanksgiving and some football, the kids having a snowball fight or the dog getting into the fruitcake, you’ll want your digital camera ready to get those great shots. Here’s how you can take better pictures in a snap.
1. Say no to “cheese.”
When you force your photo subjects to say “cheese,” you often get those awkward, forced smiles. I recommend before you snap the photo, to say something quirky and different to your subjects instead. A funny little rhyme or quick joke they’re not expecting can often get the natural smiles going.
2. Use the rule of thirds.
Digital Photography School suggests this photography fundamental that can really make an impact. Find your image, then imagine it divided into thirds horizontally and vertically, much like a tic-tac-toe grid. Place the more important elements of your shot where the lines intersect, or consider aligning elements along the imaginary lines.
3. Consider the background.
The background shouldn’t detract attention away from your subject. Avoid cluttered backgrounds and go for something simple so the focus stays on your subject. Also, make sure you’re not capturing strange illusions such as trees that appear to be sprouting from your subject, or passing birds or objects in the background that may look like they’re sitting on your subject’s head.
4. Go vertical.
When your subject is taller than it is wide, I suggest turning the camera 90 degrees to capture the subject vertically rather than horizontally, for a more optimized picture.
5. Watch the shadows.
When taking pictures outdoors, watch how the sunlight creates shadows that can affect your pictures. Strong, sunny days can put shadows on people’s faces, unlike cloudy days. Here’s a tip from Kodak—to eliminate shadows, try using your flash outdoors.
6. Find your “magic hour.”
It’s actually more like your “magic minutes.” For dramatic scenic photos, try shooting around sunrise or sunset. The colors will change as the sun continues to rise or set, so be ready to take several shots.
7. Get up close and personal.
Instead of shooting from afar, fill your frame with your photo subject. Just step up close, or use the zoom. You’ll be able to capture the little details of your subject, such as the petals on a flower or the laugh lines on grandma’s face.
8. Draw attention with leading lines.
People’s eyes naturally follow lines, so look for objects that can create lines in your pictures and have them lead toward your subject. The lines may be curved like a road, or straight like a bridge.
9. Change your perspective.
We’re all used to seeing things at our own eye level. But when you change your perspective, you’ll see a dramatic difference in your snapshots. If your subjects are pets or children, try lowering your position so you’re at their eye level. Or, lie down on the ground and shoot upward to make ordinary objects look gargantuan.
10. Capture candid opportunities.
Sometimes the photographs that capture the mood perfectly are the ones where the subjects aren’t even aware there’s a camera pointing their way. Instead of directing people to pose in your snapshots, just start snapping and you’ll capture natural lifestyle shots.
Try out these techniques or experiment with your own ideas and you’ll be able to hone your skills just in time for the holidays
Here's Another One Of Those Strange USB Devices
| This rocket launcher connects to your Windows 2000, XP or Vista machine via usb. Install the included software, plug in the Rocket Launcher, and with 360 degree horizontal rotation and 45 degree vertical rotation, the USB Rocket Launcher can fire over 6 meters giving you coverage for over 113 square meters of your workspace. |  |
While Wandering The Web
9 Sites to Help You Survive the Recession
A growing number of good Web sites, like Prosper and Bankrate, are popping up, offering useful tools to help you manage and conserve your money.
We found numerous sites that are full of good advice on how to save money and protect your financial interests. In a sour economy, sites like these are getting more attention (and site traffic) than ever before.
GasBuddy: GasBuddy is actually a network of local sites each of which allows consumers to find and report high or low gas prices around town.
Fuelly: Fuelly is a cool little Web tool that lets you track and keep a history of your vehicle's gas mileage and compare your results with those of other drivers. RetailMeNot: Find coupons (about 85,000, the site says) for thousands of stores nationwide. Many of them are sent in by site users, for others to use. It's not the only online coupon community, but it's the biggest and probably the best.
BillShrink: A big chunk of your money probably goes to your wireless carrier every month. BillShrink asks you for your locale, wireless usage habits and current plan, then recommends other plans in your area that might be better deals for you. It's a small way to trim the fat, but every little bit counts.
Prosper: Prosper is like a dating site that brings people who want to borrow money together with people who want to lend it. Borrowers post their borrowing requests, and prospective lenders bid on the interest rate at which they're willing to loan part or all of the money.
Kiva: Kiva follows roughly the same business model as Prosper, but adds a philanthropy aspect. The site allows you to extend a loan to a person in the Third World who needs the money to get a small business off the ground, for example.
Bankrate: This is the largest and most complete aggregator of financial rate information that we've seen on the Web. The site constantly surveys 4,800 financial institutions in all 50 states to provide real-time rates on around 300 financial instruments -- mortgages, credit cards, car loans, money market accounts and certificates of deposit -- so you can find the best rates and save money.
Pageonce: You've accumulated numerous online accounts -- everything from banking sites to Netflix to shopping sites to social networking -- and they all have separate logins. PageOnce brings all of your accounts together in one dashboard where they're easy to access. But it does much more than store passwords: Once the site is linked to the accounts, it notifies you of any changes at them -- from payment alerts to new-friend requests on Facebook.
AnnualCreditReport: Since 2003, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act has made it possible for individuals to obtain one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies per year. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only site that provides them without strings attached.
Bumper Sticker of the Month
Here's A "Vista" Tip
If your Windows desktop is a mess, Vista can help clean it up quickly. You can quickly force icons into the upper-left corner of the screen -- and thereby free up desktop space at the bottom and on the right -- by following these steps:
1. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and choose Personalize.
2. Click the link to Display Settings at the bottom.
3. Reduce your screen resolution.
For example, if you're running at 1,024 x 768, choose 800 x 600.
4. Click Apply, and when Vista asks whether you want to keep your new screen resolution, click Yes.
The icons move to the upper-left corner of the screen.
5. Right-click an empty place on the desktop, choose Personalize --> Display Settings, and return your desktop to its original resolution.
6. Click Apply.
Vista doesn't move the icons, so they stay in the upper-left corner.
To free up the entire right edge of the screen, pushing the icons aside, follow these steps:
1. Right-click an empty spot on the Windows taskbar and choose Properties.
2. Uncheck the Lock the Taskbar box and the Auto-Hide the Taskbar box. Click OK.
3. Click any unused part of the taskbar and drag it to the right edge.
After you have the taskbar in place, you can see that Windows moves all the icons out of the way.
4. Hover your mouse over the left edge of the taskbar until it turns into a double-headed arrow, and then click and drag the taskbar to the left, expanding it to fill as much of the screen as you like.
When you release the mouse button, the icons (and the Sidebar, if it's showing) get shoved out of the way.
5. Right-click an empty area on the taskbar, click Properties, and check the Auto-Hide the Taskbar box.
When the taskbar auto-hides itself, you'll be able to verify that all the icons have moved. Leave the Lock the Taskbar box unchecked.
6. Click any unused part of the taskbar and drag it back to wherever it originated.
None of the icons are disturbed.
7. Right-click an empty spot on the taskbar and check the line marked Lock the Taskbar.
The icons have all been pushed to the left.
