Neat Net Tricks Issue #101
May 1, 2001

http://www.NeatNetTricks.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:

01.  Address search
02.  Quick topic
03.  Free Loader
04.  Siggy
05.  ComClear
06.  Drag a link to mail
07.  Shortcuts in Netscape
08.  Shortcut to the shortcuts
09.  Speedy Messenger delete
10.  Netscape's bookmarks update
11.  Visual search engine
12.  The Not-So-Nifty Awards

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01.  ADDRESS SEARCH.  Hidden in your Windows 98 is a feature you may be
unaware of.  Click Start|Find|People, and a window opens to allow a
search from your existing address book or 7 major search engines.  Click
on a name resulting from the search and more details are opened.  Click
on "Add to address book" and it does just that.

02.  QUICK TOPIC.  Create your own discussion board, free, at 
http://www.quicktopic.com .  An email will then provide a link which you
can furnish to anyone you would like to include in the group.  A nice
feature is the notification by email whenever someone posts a message on
the site.  Quick Topic can also provide a daily email summary of all 
traffic.

03.  FREE LOADER.  Download this free application at
http://164.58.233.235/~jkirby/freeloader/ .  Then enter the URL of a 
Webcam graphic, and Free Loader will reload it at specified intervals.  
Free Loader allows saved images with time/date stamps and works with all
CGI, GIF, and JPG-based Webcams.

04.  SIGGY.  A free program at http://www.killersoftware.com, Siggy sits
in your tray and adds a random signature to email using either HTML or 
ASCII format.  It works with most email software including Outlook 
Express, Eudora, and Netscape.  This 430kb download is for PC only.

05.  COMCLEAR.  ComClear at http://www.neuro-tech.net/comclear.xml is a
free program that scans your hard drive for all Netscape user files,
then offers a check box to erase the browser's history list, cache
files, drop-down list and cookie file. The only downside seems that 
ComClear doesn't allow selective deletion within each of those lists.
It's an all-or-none approach.

06.  DRAG A LINK TO MAIL.  Sometimes tips are so simple we overlook
them.  This is an example.  If you see a Web site you think a friend
would like while you're browsing in Netscape, use CTRL M to open a
mail composition window, then drag the link on the Location Bar of 
the browser screen (the one between Bookmarks and Location) to the 
body of your message.  An html link will be created in your email, so 
that your friend need only click on it to visit the site.
                                                 
07.  SHORTCUTS IN NETSCAPE.  From anywhere in the Netscape screen, to 
move the cursor to the Location box (where a URL is entered), touch
the Shift key one or more times.  With the cursor in the Location box,
use ALT + the down arrow to reveal recent links visited, and CTRL + H
will show a more detailed history list.

08.  SHORTCUT TO THE SHORTCUTS.  NNT has featured a lot of shortcuts
and will continue to do so, but the gathering place for them all, at
least for Microsoft products, is at 
http://microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboard/keyboardsearch.asp .
You'll find the collection extends to Access 97/2000, Excel 97/2000,
Internet Explorer 4.0/5.0, Outlook 97/2000, Windows 98/2000, and Word
97/2000.

09.  SPEEDY MESSENGER DELETE.  A common tip is to hold the Shift key
while touching the Del key to delete files without going through the
Recycle Bin.  While that's expeditious, there's no later retrieval
(except by running software that may recover a lost file). Netscape
Messenger has a similar feature only it's a Trash folder rather than a
Recycle Bin.  Similarly, holding down the Shift key as you delete
a message banishes it forever, rather than holding it for you in the
Trash folder.

10.  NETSCAPE'S BOOKMARKS UPDATE.  I was reminded not long ago about
a nice feature with Netscape Communicator, something I had almost
forgotten.  There's an update feature you can readily use at Bookmarks|
Edit Bookmarks|View|Update Bookmarks.  Then click on All Bookmarks;
or highlight (select) the ones you want to check, and click on Selected
Bookmarks.  Click on Start Checking and Netscape will verify each link.
A question mark  will be displayed beside each one that cannot be
successfully retrieved.

11.  VISUAL SEARCH ENGINE.  That's how SearchShots describes itself at
http://www.searchshots.com .  It provides preview screenshots of every
site you search.

12.  THE NOT-SO-NIFTY AWARDS.  Shortly after NNT praised PocketMail
for its low-cost service for email retrieval on the road (Issue #92),
they increased rates by 50%.  They certainly have the right to fix 
rates as necessary to earn a decent profit. But PocketMail merits the 
Not-So-Nifty Award because they didn't tell customers in advance. They
said they would post the price hike on their Web site some time AFTER 
the price hike.  And their customer service staff even refused to 
reveal the rate increase.  Not cool - customers deserve better.

And Hewlett-Packard gets the thumbs down as well.  In response to my
scanner problems they promised a software fix, never delivered, and
couldn't explain why their product ceased to function. On a Gateway 
site I found the simple fix and copied a file to the start-up group to
correct a compatibility problem with yet another HP product, a printer.
Now, wouldn't you think that the manufacturer would know how to correct
problems with his own products?  And did I mention, customers deserve 
better?

=================================================================

NNT makes no endorsement or warranty, expressed or implied, with regard
to featured products or services.  Results may vary based on operating
systems and other variables beyond our control.

=================================================================

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Copyright 2001 by Jack Teems.  All rights reserved.  U.S. Library of
Congress ISSN: 1533-4619.
