Netscape Navigator 3.X Tips #11



*1. VIEW GLOBAL SURF HISTORY

Netscape Navigator makes a note of every Web site you visit and 
files it in a History file. This file keeps track not only of 
the Web page you've seen, but also every image on those pages 
and every file that you've downloaded. That's how Navigator 
remembers which links you've visited in the past. To view your 
surfing history, enter 

about:globalhistory 

in the Location box. The entire History file appears. Because 
the file contains so much information, it can take a while to 
display completely. 

Note: Press Ctrl-H to see the history of your current 
Internet session alone.


*2. BOOKMARK YOUR GLOBAL HISTORY

Like viewing your global history, but not sure you can remember 
the command? Bookmark it. First, pull up your global history in 
the usual way, by typing 
 
about:globalhistory 

in the browser Location field. With the list onscreen, 
right-click the window and choose Add Bookmark. Now whenever 
you want to wallow in nostalgia, just choose the entry from the 
Bookmarks menu. You can use your precious memory (the kind in 
your head) for something else.


*3. COMMUNICATE NETSCAPE 4.61 STYLE

Have you been thinking about upgrading your Netscape software? 
If you're waiting for Netscape 5, it might be an awfully long 
wait. But there is a fresh new Netscape Communicator 4.61 suite 
waiting for you, whenever you're ready. You can download it at 

http://home.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html


*4. COOLTALK: TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION

You've heard of Internet phones? CoolTalk is a Netscape 3.x 
component that lets you talk to other people, in real time, 
over the Internet or an intranet. The quality isn't quite as 
good as using a telephone, but on the other hand, every call is 
free. You can also use CoolTalk to convey other kinds of 
information. For example, using CoolTalk's whiteboard, you can 
write or draw pictures. 

To find out more about CoolTalk, visit Netscape's CoolTalk 
information page at 

http://home.netscape.com/navigator/v3.0/cooltalk.html 

The only catch with CoolTalk is that the person on the other 
end of the connection must be running the software as well. But 
this isn't a big problem, since the program is included with 
Netscape Navigator (Communicator users get a similar program 
called Conference). 

There are also hardware requirements for CoolTalk. First things 
first: If you want to use the voice transmission technology, 
you'll need a microphone, sound card, and speakers. (If you 
really get into this, you'll probably prefer to use a headset 
with a built-in microphone.) PC users must have at least a 486 
processor running at 50 MHz or faster, 8 MB of RAM, and a modem 
capable of a 14.4-kbps transfer rate or faster. 

Stay tuned for more tips about how and where to use CoolTalk.


*5. CONFIGURING COOLTALK

You can run CoolTalk, the conference program that comes with 
Netscape Navigator 3, either on its own or from within 
Navigator. Today we'll tell you how to run it in stand-alone 
mode. First, if you'll be doing voice communication, make sure 
you have your microphone plugged in and ready to go. Now find 
the CoolTalk icon in your Navigator folder and double-click it 
to bring up the CoolTalk Setup Wizard (if the Setup Wizard 
doesn't launch automatically, select Help, Setup Wizard in the 
CoolTalk conference window). Now let the Setup Wizard walk you 
through the setup process, testing your components as you go. 
The whole process takes about 5-10 minutes, and then you'll see 
the CoolTalk conference window. That's it--you're all set to do 
some cool talking. 

Note: If you ever need to change your CoolTalk settings, you 
can return to the Setup Wizard by choosing Help, Setup Wizard 
in the CoolTalk conference window.


*6. COOLTALK: SAMPLE SELECTION

If you have a sound card in your computer, you can use the 
audio part of CoolTalk. During the CoolTalk setup, you are 
prompted to test the audio playback at an 8-kHz sampling rate. 
This is simply the rate at which the analog sound, such as your 
voice, is turned into digital information. This information can 
then be stored on a computer and played back. Sampling is how 
the computer "listens" to an analog sound at regular intervals, 
and the information collected at these points can be 
reassembled for playback. The sampling rate, then, affects how 
this playback sounds. Specifically, the higher the sampling 
rate, the better it sounds because the sound is sampled at more 
times per second.


*7. COOLTALK: TAKE A PICTURE, IT'LL LAST LONGER!

During the CoolTalk setup, you are asked to fill out a 
"business card." By this means, you can be identified when you 
call another user through CoolTalk. Think of it as a deluxe 
version of caller ID, because it can include information like 
your name, address, phone number, and even a photo. When 
someone calls you, all you have to do is click the photo that 
appears in the conference window, and the business card appears. 

Do you have to add a photo to your business card? No, you can 
go around forever looking like a fellow with a big question 
mark for a head. But hey, why not? We think you look great! To 
modify your business card after you've run Setup, choose 
Conference, Options from the CoolTalk conference window. Click 
the Business Card tab. To add your photo from a file, click the 
folder button to the immediate right of the Photo field to open 
a file selection dialog box. Navigate to the image file you 
wish to use, select it, and click Open. If you already have a 
picture pasted to your Clipboard, just click the button to the 
far right of the Photo field, and the picture pastes right in. 

Note: You can add any photo you want--even one that's not 
you--or you can add any graphics file you want, such as a 
company logo.


*8. COOLTALK: THE SOUND OF SILENCE

The large black box in the center of the CoolTalk conference 
window is actually two panels, each of which indicates the 
audio volume level. The top panel indicates your volume (as the 
speaker), and the bottom panel indicates the volume coming from 
the person speaking to you. To adjust the level of either, 
click on the plus or minus symbol on the right side of 
the panels. 

You'll also notice that the top panel, the one that indicates 
your volume, has a couple of red arrows inside it. These don't 
have anything to do with the overall volume; rather, they allow 
you to set the silence level. Basically, this refers to all the 
background noise that your microphone picks up in addition to 
your voice when you speak into it. To set the silence level 
higher--in others words, ignore more outside noise--drag the 
red arrow buttons to the right with your mouse. The silence 
level you set is indicated in the bottom-left status field.


*9. COOLTALK: TESTING, TESTING

Before you actually make a call with CoolTalk, you should test 
your audio levels. To do this, click the microphone icon to the 
level of the top volume panel. This lets you test the sound 
level without being connected. Now speak into your 
microphone--you'll see audio indicator bars moving across the 
panel. If these bars are bright green, your audio level is 
acceptable for conversation; if the bars are dark green, the 
sound is too low; and if the bars are red, the sound is way too 
high. If the sound is too low or too high, adjust the silence 
level until you get to the ideal sound level.


*10. COOLTALK: GETTING CONNECTED

Now that you've tested your CoolTalk audio, get connected. 
First make sure you're connected to the Internet, then click 
the Conference button in the CoolTalk window (the one with the 
two heads). This displays the Open Conference dialog box with 
the Address Book tab selected. Now just enter the Internet 
address of the CoolTalk user you want to contact in the entry 
field (this can be an e-mail address, such as 
joe_user@domain.com, or a numeric IP address, such as 
199.123.02), then click OK. You should hear a ring as CoolTalk 
attempts to establish the connection.  

Once a connection is established, the status window reads 
"Waiting . . ." and the microphone icon is depressed. It should 
also display the picture that's included in the recipient's 
business card. Now all you have to do is talk into the 
microphone and listen for a response. When you say something, 
the status message reads "Talking," and when the recipient says 
something, it reads "Receiving." That's it. To end the 
conference, click the Conference button again. A dialog box 
asks if you want to leave the conference in progress; click 
Yes, and the CoolTalk window goes idle. 

When you connect with another CoolTalk user, you see his or her 
picture appear in the large square button in the CoolTalk 
window. Click this button and you see this user's business 
card. When you click the Host or CoolTalk tabs, you get 
information about the user's system. 

If you don't have anyone to call yet, that's okay. Our next tip 
will suggest some CoolTalk meeting places.
