Neat Net Tricks Issue #90
November 15, 2000
http://www.NeatNetTricks.com
Reply-To: NNT@silver.lyris.net

IN THIS ISSUE:

01.  Super Format
02.  EgoSurf
03.  More translations
04.  Tellme
05.  To click twice or not
06.  Windows Keyboard Enhancer
07.  Optical illusions
08.  Personal Knowbase
09.  More real estate for IE
10.  Time Cave
11.  Selective quoting
12.  Resizing text
13.  The other side

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01.  SUPER FORMAT.  There's a 20kb download said to increase storage
capacity of floppy disks from 1.44 mb to 1.72 mb.  After the new file
structure is created by Super Format, the disk can still be read by any
floppy drive.  I haven't tried this one out, but if that extra .28 mb
is important to you, you can give it a try by downloading the file at
http://netsoc.tripod.com/ndload.htm .

02.  EGOSURF.  Appropriately named, this free service promises to 
let you know by email when your name - or whatever else you're looking
for - appears on the Web.  There are many of these services available
and you can shop around until you find the one you like best.  EgoSurf
is at http://www2.egosurf.com/ .

03.  MORE TRANSLATIONS.  Neat Net Tricks has featured wide assortments
of translation sites, but if you can stand just one more, try the one
described as "the fastest web-based translation" for both text and Web
pages at http://www.freetranslation.com .  You can go back and forth 
from any of 6 languages provided you understand that results aren't so
accurate with machine translation, due to typical idioms and each 
language's own peculiarities.  If you're not willing to compromise
accuracy in favor of no cost, then the service can provide better 
translations with a human touch, but for a price tag that goes with it.

04.  TELLME.  This is a free service very similar to Quark, featured a
few issues ago.  You can dial 1-800-555-TELL and get lots of reports 
on restaurants, movies, stocks, airlines, news, sports, traffic,
weather, horoscope, and so on.  You do this with simple voice commands
and the system is very user-friendly.  You don't have to sign up at
http://www.tellme.com ; but if you do, there are a few questions to 
answer, and then the service provides some expanded options (still for
free). (Quark, by the way, is now off-line, apparently being refurbished 
after an AOL buy-out.)

05.  TO CLICK TWICE OR NOT.  Sometimes puzzles on the PC eventually
unravel themselves.  On another forum there was an ongoing debate
regarding Netscape's email and how one could avoid opening an incoming
message by just a single click and then deleting it.  The concern was
that a virus might be able to creep into one's system when an email is
inadvertently opened. The group was clearly divided: those whose 
single click would open the message, and those who could delete 
without opening it because to open the message required a double 
click.  It turned out that the secret was in how the email panes were 
arranged.  If you have a double pane, showing the list of incoming 
messages with the selected message contents displayed in the lower 
pane, then a single click opens each message, and deleting without 
opening can't be done.  With a single pane, a double click is required 
to open the message; thus, you can select (highlight) the message with
a single click and delete it without opening.  You opt for the pane 
arrangement with a click on that little bar separating the panes. Or,
remove the message pane by going to View|Show and uncheck Message in
the submenu.

06.  WINDOWS KEYBOARD ENHANCER.  Copernic offers a free download at
http://www.copernic.com/winkey/ which allows creating shortcuts with the
Windows logo key, using some 200 possible key combinations.  This handy
application provides a shell extension to access system folders or Web
pages and start favorite applications.

07.  OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.  There's an interesting collection of eye-
twisters at http://members.aol.com/Ryanbut/optical.html .

08.  PERSONAL KNOWBASE.  Bitsmith makes the point that it doesn't matter
how easily you can store information if you can't find it.  Their 
Personal Knowbase is a free-form database that stores text information 
of any size with associated keywords.  Cross-referencing, retrieval,
text editing, tagging, sorting, import/export, and printing are simple
tasks.  More info at http://bitsmithsoft.com/product.htm .

09.  MORE REAL ESTATE FOR IE.  If you'd like to gain a little space when
using Microsoft Internet Explorer, right click on Links to the right of
the address box.  Uncheck Address Bar in the drop-down context menu.  If
you change your mind later, just reverse the process.  With the address
bar hidden, you can still enter a URL with CTRL+O (that's an alpha o, 
not numeric).

10.  TIME CAVE.  A free service at http://www.timecave.com allows you to
compose email and program a future time and date for sending it.  You 
can use the service to send reminders to yourself as well, if you find
the string around the finger doesn't work.

11.  SELECTIVE QUOTING.  Netscape's email doesn't support this, but it
seems most other email programs will.  Before replying to email, you
can quote any part of the message by simply selecting (highlighting)
that portion desired before clicking on Reply.

12.  RESIZING TEXT.  In Microsoft Internet Explorer, for a quick resize
of the font in a Web page, the middle wheel of your mouse will do the
trick.  Hold CTRL while scrolling up to make the text smaller, down to
enlarge it.

13.  THE OTHER SIDE.  If you haven't visited the Neat Net Tricks Web
site, you haven't seen the other side of Neat Net Tricks.  Click here 
before another minute goes by: http://www.NeatNetTricks.com .  With a 
little exploring you may win $300+ in free software with no strings 
attached (there's still time so click "The Contest" link).  Or pick up 
nearly 1,000 tips on disk ("ArchivesExpress"); hear the latest one-
minute audio tip ("About NNT"); see more Neat Net Tricks ("Test 
Drive"); click to more than two dozen fantastic sites that have earned
the designation of "Neat Net Nifty" ("What's New"); get your message 
to 70,000 readers ("Advertise"); see who reads this stuff  ("Audience");
drop your technical questions and comments off for a quick response 
("Bulletin Board"); and, subscribe, unsubscribe, and learn a lot more 
about this ezine.

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Copyright 2000 by Jack Teems.  All rights reserved.
