How To

How to create printer pools in OS X

Adding printers to OS X is a fairly straightforward process in which you go to the Print & Scan (or Print & Fax) system preferences and click the plus symbol in the printer list to add a printer. In many offices or even homes, printers may be available in separate locations, which you can add to your printer list so they will be available for your system. With multiple printers installed, you can select the desired one from the Printer drop-down menu when you invoke the print command in a program.

This setup is a fairly standard way of managing … Read more

How to turn your movie files into DVDs

Whether you want offline access or you want to send a copy to tech-deficient relatives, DVDs are still a great way to store videos. Many computers come bundled with DVD-burning software, but they can be cumbersome or complex. Windows Live Movie Maker is free and relatively easy to use. Here's how to get started with it:

Download, install, and run Windows Live Movie Maker. It's a fairly painless installation, but it will take a few minutes.

It may look like a lot at first, but the interface is quite streamlined. To get started, click "Add videos and … Read more

How to play sounds using a computer keyboard

Though it's a sad comment on humanity, apps that play sound effects (preferably crude ones) are a popular source of entertainment. It's in our DNA. I'll bet that early cavemen invented the whoopee cushion before they mastered fire.

But if your sound effect needs are beyond the scope of your garden variety flatulence app, there's an excellent and free piece of software out there called SoundPlant that allows you transform any Mac or PC into a custom soundboard.

Honestly, the idea for this How To came to me as I was walking through my local Halloween … Read more

How to prevent identity theft

Somebody breaks into your e-mail account and sends phishing spam from your address to everyone in your contacts list. Somebody else steals your online bank ID and password and cleans out all the money in your accounts. And another crook swipes your Social Security number and opens credit card, cell phone, and other accounts in your name.

All three of these crimes fall under the umbrella of identity theft. Reports of declines in identity-theft incidents from such security research firms as Javelin Strategy & Research and government agencies, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC's consumer-complaint statistics for 2010--pdf), … Read more

How to use PowerPoint effectively

If I were president, I would propose legislation making misuse of Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software a Class C misdemeanor. Read a slide; go to jail.

I would empower audience members to confiscate the presenter's hardware if they're shown any slide with more text than the average tweet, with dark-on-dark or light-on-light text, or with more elements than the Periodic Table. They would also be allowed to pull the plug whenever anything on the screen is illegible to anyone in the back row.

Microsoft's ubiquitous presentation program has been used and abused by everyone from elementary school … Read more

How to find system up-time on Windows 7

If you leave your computer on for extended periods of time, it's usually a good idea to perform a reboot now and then. Furthermore, if you're managing multiple computers, it's difficult to remember when each received a reboot. That's why Windows keeps track of your total up-time and the last time your computer booted for you. Here's how to access those pieces of information:

Note: You can also use these instructions to see how long you've been sitting in front of the computer, if you turn it off after each use.

To find total … Read more

Find out what's taking space on your Mac hard drive

If you are experiencing symptoms of or related to extremely slow applications, perpetual spinning beach balls, issues burning CDs, problems installing software, and random freezing, you're most likely dealing with a case of low storage space.

Head to your hard drive and check your storage capacity. If you're inching toward a full disk, it's time to take out the trash.

Doing so isn't always a simple task, though. Identifying exactly what's taking up space can be annoying and time-consuming, possibly ending with you in an upset fit, hands thrown in the air, and hollering "… Read more

How to create shortcuts for Windows 7 settings

Instead of using the Windows 7 Control Panel to get to settings you use frequently, why not use shortcuts? You can create both graphical and keyboard shortcuts for Windows 7 settings. Here's how:

Category shortcuts Category shortcuts allow quick access to any category or subcategory of the Control Panel.

Step 1: Open the Windows Control Panel and navigate to the category you want to create a shortcut for.

Step 2: Hover over the text of the category you want, then drag it over to your desktop.

Task and configuration shortcuts Task and configuration shortcuts allow direct access to specific … Read more

How to speed up your home network

We've come to depend on home internet access as much as (or maybe more than) we used to depend on our land lines. If you've got dead patches in your house or, worse, slow or patchy connectivity, you may be able to fix up your network with an afternoon's worth of mild effort and experimentation. If you're willing to lay down some cash, you can make your network even sweeter. Here's how:

Move your router. If you've got dead patches with no wireless connectivity, you may just need to move your router. Make sure … Read more