Who Knew Your...PC, Software, Camera, Printer, Network, Drive, Handheld...Could Do That?
28 unexpected ways to get more out of the tools you use every day.Contributing Editor Steve Bass is the author of PC Annoyances, published by O'Reilly. Contact him at homeoffice@pcworld.com. Melissa J. Perenson is an associate editor, Grace Aquino is a senior associate editor, and Aoife M. McEvoy and Michael S. Lasky are senior editors at PC World.
My wife, Judy, thinks I'm crazy. (I prefer "nonconformist," thank you very much.) And why? Just because I take pleasure in discovering new and unexpected ways to use my favorite hardware and software. Exhibit A: I recently spent a week holed up in my home office poking around my PC. Let me tell you, I found some things I never expected.
Like, for instance, an easy way to strip out the information hidden in Office documents, a neat trick for speeding up the Internet, and a simple Windows tweak that boosts the performance of my hard drive. I also transformed my notebook into a desktop PC, established a wireless connection for my printer, and loaded images directly from my digital camera into a slide-show display that hangs on my living-room wall. I also unearthed a bunch of low-cost gizmos and free software that can help your current setup do more than you ever thought it could. I bet you're going to be more than a little surprised at these fab tricks, tweaks, and tips.
PCs and Notebooks
Illustration by Dan Page
...Your printer could go wireless? There's no getting around the convenience of wireless devices. Still, even if you're a big wireless fan, you probably have at least one device that remains tethered to your PC: your printer. But now you can cut that cord, too. All it takes is a wireless print server. The Linksys Instant Wireless Print Server WPS11 uses the 802.11b standard and supports one parallel printer; the company's Wireless G Print Server WPS54GU2 is designed for 802.11g networks and supports two printers (one parallel and one USB). Either model can connect to your network via ethernet or wirelessly, and each costs about $130.
MemoryFrame MF-570
...You could plug your digital camera straight into a slide-show display? If you're like me, you love showing off your digital-camera handiwork, but you don't want to gather everyone around your PC monitor to view the images. With Pacific Digital's MemoryFrame MF-570, you can skip the PC altogether. Your shots go straight from the camera to this 5.6-inch active-matrix LCD that can hang on your living-room wall or rest on a table or desktop. Load up to 55 images (.jpeg,.tiff,.png,.gif, or.bmp) via USB into the device's 16MB of RAM and 8MB of flash memory. The bundled Digital Pix Master software lets you use your PC to create a slide show and then load the images from the PC into the MemoryFrame. But letting the device create the show for you is even more convenient. Its built-in controls enable you to delete images, change timing and transitions, and make other alterations to your slide shows. I do have a few quibbles about the MemoryFrame, though: The device uses a slow USB 1.1 connection, and the wire that leads to the AC adapter is a glaring eyesore. Oh, and then there's the price tag: At $350 list and $270 street, the MemoryFrame isn't cheap (the new 8-by-10-inch model lists for $500). Still, there's just no getting around the fact that this little puppy wows everyone who ventures into my living room.
Sherpaq Mobile Products' Oyster
...Your notebook screen could double as a desktop monitor? If you're looking to go the single-machine route, you'll be interested in the Oyster from Sherpaq Mobile Products, a smart way to convert your notebook into a desktop. Open your notebook flat and slide the keyboard end into this $150 almost-vertical docking station--and just like that, the notebook's display is facing you at the level of a desktop monitor. Connect your mouse, desktop keyboard, and other peripherals to the Oyster's USB ports (the gizmo includes a four-port USB 2.0 hub with a spot to hide the cables), and the transformation is complete.
...Your inkjet cartridges would last longer with regular use? If you're one of those happy souls who don't use their inkjet printer more than once a month or so, keep in mind that its ink cartridges can get funky and its print quality can plummet. I gave my inkjet a long break, and the first photo I printed afterward showed blue roses on a red sky. To keep your printer in shape, print a test color document once a week. To discover more ways to cut your printer costs, see "The Cheapskate's Guide to Printing."
...Your PC could catalog your CDs and DVD movies automatically? It used to take me forever to decide on a movie to watch or music to listen to from my scattered collection of DVDs and CDs. I spend less time scrambling and more time enjoying since I found a couple of great cataloging programs. For movie DVDs, grab a copy of DVD Profiler. Enter the UPC on a movie DVD's case into the $25 program, or just stick the disc into your PC, and the software retrieves more than 20 details about the movie from an online database. DVD Profiler stores the data for easy lookups, too. Keep tabs on your music CDs and MP3s with CD Trustee, a $40 program that creates a database of song titles automatically.
Bonus tip: Now you can wake up from your office catnaps to whatever MP3 or WMA music file you prefer. Jake's Alarm Clock freeware puts a small clock on your desktop that you can set to play the tune of your choice at the time you specify.
Windows
Illustration by Dan Page
...You could set Windows to load just the hardware drivers you need right now? Anybody who has owned a notebook computer for a while probably knows that Windows lets you boot with different hardware profiles. Using profiles can help conserve system resources and can force your machine to boot faster. For example, you can create one profile that disables your network adapter or modem when you're on a plane, and another that recognizes your network adapter, external DVD player, and other devices when the notebook is docked at home. Why not carry this over to your desktop? If you sometimes perform heavy-duty video editing, set up a profile that doesn't load drivers for your CD drive and for other hardware you won't need. This way your system can focus on the task at hand.
To create a hardware profile in Windows XP and 2000, right-click My Computer, select Properties, and click Hardware, Hardware Profiles. In Windows Me and 98, right-click My Computer, choose Properties, and click Hardware Profiles. If you've never created a profile, the only listing under 'Available hardware profiles' will be 'Original Configuration' or 'Original Configuration (Current)', depending on your version of Windows. Otherwise, your current profile will be highlighted. Click Copy, type a name for your new hardware profile, and click OK. Other options in this dialog box let you choose a profile when Windows boots, or use the first profile if you don't select one. When you're done, click OK again, choose Device Manager, and disable the devices you won't need for your new profile. Now simply log on with the hardware profile that uses only the devices you'll need.
...You could improve your hard drive's performance and security by switching to NTFS? If you've upgraded your system from an older version of Windows to XP, there's a good chance that your hard drive still uses the old operating system's FAT32 file structure. You can boost your drive's performance and reliability by converting to NTFS (short for NT File System). NTFS permits you to save files larger than FAT32's 4GB limit, and it lets you encrypt folders for added security. Better still, NTFS uses a smaller cluster size, which translates into less wasted storage space--so you'll get more drive bang for your buck. Keep in mind, however, that you won't notice any performance boost with NTFS if your hard drive is smaller than 10GB or if it runs at 5400 rpm.
To convert a FAT32 drive to NTFS, click Start, Run, type cmd, and in the command prompt window, enter convert drive letter: /fs:ntfs, where drive letter is the appropriate letter for the drive in your PC. For instance, if you want to convert your C: drive, type convert c: /fs:ntfs (don't forget the spaces before the driver letter and before the forward slash).
One peril to watch out for: Once you convert the drive to NTFS, you'll have to use a third-party program, such as Symantec's PartitionMagic 8, to return the drive to FAT32 format.
...You could divide to conquer your video file woes? People posting video on the Internet often split their productions into dozens of individual files to make them easier to upload and download. Of course, you could watch each of them separately, but it's far more rewarding to view the whole video continuously. Fear not, auteurs, Boilsoft's $20 AVI/MPEG/RM/WMV Joiner and $25 AVI/MPEG/ASF/WMV Splitter can handle all of your video splicing needs, lickety-split. Both of these utilities take an infinitesimal amount of skill to operate--even a video newbie can get it right the first time. Simply add the files you want to merge, and then click one button. Splitting a large file is just as easy: Locate it, decide on a file size (or choose selected portions of the video), and click a button. Visit Boilsoft.com to inspect the vendor's tools for converting Windows Media and Real Media files to AVI or MPEG format.
...You could store notes with files in Windows? Windows' file-annotation function may be unpolished, but it does give PC users a quick and easy way to add notes to important files. To annotate a file in Windows Explorer, right-click the file and choose Properties (or select the file and press Alt-Enter). Choose the Summary tab (Windows XP) or the Custom tab (all other versions of Windows), and type your note in the Comments field or any other blank field. Strangely enough, this option is unavailable for certain file types, including some video formats. (If you don't see any blank fields under the Summary tab, click the Simple button.) Now whenever you send the file to someone, your annotations will travel along with it.
Drag and drop files to an encrypted folder to safeguard them automatically.
...Windows could make it so easy to safeguard files? Even if you trust your friends, family, and coworkers, it's still worth encrypting your sensitive files on multiuser systems to shield them from nosy bosses and other snoops. To protect files in Windows XP Pro and 2000 (with an NTFS-formatted drive), open Windows Explorer and right-click the folder you want to encrypt. Choose Properties, click the Advanced button, and check the box next to Encrypt contents to secure data. Click OK twice; and just like that, the folder's contents are locked up tight as a drum. Any files that you move to the folder subsequently will be encrypted as well. If you use Windows Me, read Scott Dunn's July 2003 Windows Tips column, "Password-Protect Your Sensitive Files and Folders." Or get the free Cryptainer LE utility, which creates a hidden, encrypted virtual drive. To keep your PC single-user, read February's Answer Line column, "How Do I Keep People Off My PC?"
Internet
Illustration by Dan Page
Lock up your PC with Griffin Technologies' ControlKey.
The $60 USB device can be configured to work in several different ways: Simply by pulling the device from the port it occupies, you can lock your PC, put your machine in standby mode, or block the system's Internet access. ControlKey also prevents the hacker trick of booting your system into Safe Mode. ControlKey works only with Windows XP, and it can lock up files and folders only on NTFS-formatted drives.
...You could boost your Internet connection speed by tweaking your PC's Registry? No matter how you connect to the Internet, grabbing a little extra speed is always good. One cool way to goose your connection--whether dial-up or broadband--is to use the free CableNut utility to fine-tune the Internet settings in the Windows Registry. After you install CableNut, use its Registry backup feature to create a copy of the Registry, for insurance. With the backup in place, choose the profile that matches the way you connect to the Internet; then save the settings and reboot your PC. I noticed a moderate improvement in the DSL speed of my XP system, and a significant boost when I used dial-up on a Windows 98 PC. Fair warning: Choosing the right profile is important; so before you get started, read CableNut's Help file.
Increase the number of simultaneous downloads in IE by adding this Registry key.
...You could download more than two things at a time in Internet Explorer? You may be getting less than you have coming to you when you download in Internet Explorer. For some reason, IE limits you by default to two simultaneous downloads (crazy, I know, especially if you have a high-speed Internet connection). To increase the number of IE download streams in Windows XP, first click Start, Run, type regedit, and press Enter to open Windows' Registry. In the left pane, navigate to the following key (Registry-speak for folder): HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings.
For safety's sake, back up this key before you proceed: Right-click it and select Export; then choose the folder that you store your backups in, give the file a name like 'IE Registry Backup', and click Save. Now you're ready to start tinkering with the Registry settings. Choose Edit, New, DWORD Value, type MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server=Dword:0000000a, and press Enter. Right-click the new entry, choose Modify, check the Decimal radio button, enter 10 under 'Value data', and click OK. Repeat these steps to create a DWORD Value in the same key named MaxConnectionsPerServer=Dword:0000000a with the same settings as the first one you created, and close the Registry.
...You could share files without using e-mail or FTP? Have you ever wished you could move files to a folder on your PC and have your friends see them on their PCs almost instantly? Well, wish no longer. FolderShare--a free, secure peer-to-peer file-sharing program--is so convenient that I use it almost daily. Here's how it works: Start by inviting one or more people to share a specific library. The invitation asks them to download a small application that will let them "connect" to the library. They then associate a folder on their computer with the library and download any of the library's files to their local machine via drag-and-drop in Windows Explorer. The free version of FolderShare allows you to queue up to three files for download. You can work with as many as 100 libraries, each of which may hold up to 3000 files (the maximum size of any single file is 2GB). For $4.50 per month, you gain the ability to automatically sync files. FolderShare is an ideal way to bypass e-mail and FTP servers when you want to share big files. Registration is required for the download. And read my Home Office column from last July, "Move Big Files Without Breaking a Sweat."
Bonus tip: Still moving your files the old-fashioned way? Download HJSplit, a free utility that lets you span big files across several CDs, floppies, or other media.
Office Apps
Illustration by Dan Page
Bonus tip: To save Word files in which all your tracked changes, comments, and personal data have been stripped out, select Tools, Options, Security and make sure that both 'Warn before printing, saving, or sending a file that contains tracked changes or comments' and 'Remove personal information from this file on save' are checked. Note that this option doesn't remove as much hidden information as Microsoft's Office add-in does.
Get a clue about Word's function keys by adding this toolbar below your documents.
...Word could remind you about what its function keys do? I'm a big fan of keyboard shortcuts, but I have a heck of a time remembering all but the most basic combinations. At least I've got some help when it comes to figuring out Word's function keys, and it's from an unlikely source: the program itself. In all versions since Word 2000, you have instant access to an on-screen display of all of its function-key combinations--and the program has dozens. Choose Tools, Customize, Toolbars, scroll to and select Function Key Display, and click Close. From then on, whenever you hold down the Alt, Shift, or Ctrl keys on your keyboard--either individually or in combination--the function key toolbar options on the bottom of the screen change as well. If the toolbar takes up too much screen real estate, simply grab the vertical bar at the left end and drag it to another location on the page.
Bonus tip: Every time you type text into an Excel cell (for a label or heading, for example), it shows as one long string of characters. To get a new line, press Alt-Enter. When you're done, press Enter again to close the cell.
...You could zip file attachments in Outlook automatically? Believe it or not, many of my computing buddies are still on dial-up. (I can't decide whether they're cheapskates or they're just not in any hurry.) To avoid losing their friendship, I compress big files before attaching them to the e-mail messages I send their way. A great tool for this is BxAutoZip, a free Outlook add-in that compresses e-mail attachments with one click. Remember, however, that if your recipients don't have an unzipping program installed on their system, you'll have to use BxAutoZip's self-extracting archive option. The program works with versions of Windows from 95 through XP, and it's compatible with all flavors of Outlook. (A version for Outlook Express should be available by the time you read this.)
Digital Cameras in the Dark? Who Knew...
Get better night shots by upping the ISO setting.
...You could brighten your outdoor night shots? Capturing adequately lit and detailed photos after sunset is always a challenge. But a few tricks can help you achieve better-looking night scenes. If your camera offers it, choose the Night Mode setting. If your model does not have that setting but does have some basic manual features, navigate the camera's menu and change the ISO to the highest possible setting--for example, to 400 or 800. Now adjust the aperture to the lowest number, which typically is f/2.8, and reduce the shutter speed to 1/60 of a second or so. Turn off the flash and mount the camera on a tripod to eliminate movement. If you don't have a tripod, prop the camera against a flat, stationary object such as a table, a bench, or a ledge. Grace Aquino
Double Your DVD Storage? Who Knew...
Put the whole show on one DVD or CD disc by removing some MPEG-2 information.
...You could fit more high-quality video on a single DVD disc? Hollywood can do it, so why can't you? Commercial video releases squeeze a 2-hour movie onto a single DVD, but your video burning software says that you can record only 1 hour of MPEG-2 video on a disc at the maximum quality setting. The movie studios use DVD-9 media, dual-layer discs that each take 8.5GB of data. Dual-layer drives are trickling to the masses late this spring: New devices from HP, Philips, and Sony that let you pack 2 hours of Hollywood-quality video on a disc cost only about $50 more than a standard DVD burner. If you're not ready for a new drive, however, there's another way to put more video onto a DVD or CD without sacrificing too much quality.
Ahead's Nero 6 Ultra Edition, the freeware DVD Shrink, 321 Studios' DVDXtreme, InterVideo's DVD Copy, Roxio's Easy Media Creator 7, and other burning software shrink non-copy-protected DVD movies onto a single DVD by stripping information from the MPEG-2 video, reducing file size by about half. Ahead's ReCode can generate MPEG-4 movies only from a DVD's.vob video files, stored either on a disc or on a hard drive. Roxio's software can create DivX MPEG-4 movies from any video imported through VideoWave (part of Easy Media Creator) but not from another DVD. Putting 2 hours of MPEG-4 video on two CDs (or nearly 7 hours on a DVD) won't cause any pixelation or "blocking" of the image (also known as "artifacting"). Compressing the video to a single CD causes some artifacting, but the picture is better than with the MPEG-1 Video CD format. The catch: To play back video, you'll need MPEG-4- or DivX-enabled software. A few DVD players and handheld video devices support these formats, too.
Melissa J. PerensonPDAs Make Music, Backups? Who Knew...
PocketRadio plugs into your PDA.
...You could listen to FM radio on your PDA? Most PDAs can play MP3 music tracks and record voice memos; but when it comes to audio, that's about it. Fortunately, PDA expansion ports (CompactFlash or SD on Pocket PCs and Palms) expand your entertainment versatility. For example, you can transform any Palm or Pocket PC into an FM radio by using the IBiz PocketRadio. This handy gizmo ($40 street) lets you listen to FM stations while performing other tasks. Load the IBiz software onto your handheld and slip the device into the PDA's expansion slot. The included earpieces or your own headphones serve as the radio's antenna, providing surprisingly good reception. You get 18 station presets along with basic radio controls. Once the radio is on, you can easily switch to work with other applications and play the radio broadcast in the background.
...You could back up your PDA without having to use a PC? In the past, if your PDA's memory went south and you were nowhere near the PC that you synced it with, you were in big trouble. That's because, until recently, the only place you could back up a PDA was on the computer it shared information with. But not anymore. The Secure File Backup from MDM is a $50, 64MB SD card for Palms and Pocket PCs that automatically launches the backup or restore program each time you insert it. The card intuitively backs up fully or incrementally; if you lose your data, just put the card in the PDA to retrieve it instantly. The card's generous 64MB of memory can accommodate everything stored on any current Palm or Pocket PC.
Michael S. LaskyMake Calls the Way You Get MP3s? Who Knew...
The Skype service lets you phone other Skype users whether you use a dial-up Net connection or a high-speed one.
...Your broadband link could replace your phone company? A great way to get even more out of your broadband or dial-up connection is to do your long-distance yakking over the Internet. While you probably know about Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services, you probably didn't know that you can also make phone calls using your PC over a peer-to-peer network just like Kazaa.
To make peer-to-peer calls, try Skype, a service (now in beta) that has the built-in disadvantage of permitting you to call only other Skype users' PCs. First, install the software (it's about a 7MB download). Then plug in your PC microphone or a headset and use the program's friendly interface to initiate a call. The audio quality at dial-up speeds is impressive, and it's even better when you're talking over a high-speed connection. At press time Skype rolled out PocketSkype, another beta service that allows you to make free calls on any Wi-Fi-enabled Pocket PC-based handheld. Various other software-based IP phone services charge a fee for calls to landline numbers and cell phones. One such service is Callserve Internet Telephone. The quality of the calls on these services is very good, but you must pay for your calls in advance; prepaid plans start at $15.
If you don't like headsets or PC microphones--and don't want to have to turn on your PC to place a call--consider a hardware-based IP phone service (a broadband connection and a router are required). The adapters provided by VoicePulse and Vonage plug into your router and any standard phone. The services' call quality is excellent. Fees start at $15 for 500 minutes. Also read our May review of hardware-based services.
Aoife M. McEvoy