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Great tips and tricks

By Staff | Aug 16, 2012

Getting all kinds of ads popping up with animations on your webpage? In Firefox, just press the “esc” button and they disappear. Safari users have to hold down the “esc” key.

Like to visit a website daily, but hate clicking first on Internet Explorer, then clicking on bookmarks or favorites, and finally double-clicking on the site’s name? Here is a cool trick: open up your favorite site. When the page pops up, click your mouse on the resize screen button in the upper right-hand corner. You want to be able to see some of the desktop so you can drag a new icon to it It looks like a square next to an X box. Now, with a smaller webpage showing instead of full-screen mode, you can see part of the desktop. Place your mouse to the left of the page, left-click your mouse, drag the whole name over to the desktop and release your mouse. Whammo! A new icon appears with the name of the website. Now, when you want to get there in a hurry, just double-click on the new icon on your desktop.

You heard about the new sharp retina display on Macs? Guess what? You don’t get it. The display is only 1,440 by 900 pixels. If you download and install a program called Switchresx, a new display resolution will blow you away. It now becomes a whopping 2,880 by 1,800. That’ll burn some eyes out! Caution! A few people claim to have had a system file deleted that changes the resolutions, so be careful.

Want to delete an e-mail on the Mac? Hit the “Control” and “H” keys at the same time.

Like to cut up that credit card and start using NFC? You’re asking, “What the heck is NFC?” It stands for Near Field Communication, and this is what it does. Let’s say you’re craving a seafood dinner and go into Safeway to buy three lobster tails, two pounds of shrimp and a pound of akule. Instead of standing in a long checkout line, you can just walk out the front door without being tackled by three security guards. Why? Because you just pressed your iPhone button near a sensor placed at the store’s entrance, which charges automatically all the items in your basket. The new iPhone5 coming out in October is supposed to have this new feature.

Also, a new feature called AirDrop in Lion allows you to transfer files from your Mac to a friend’s Mac. Zero configuration and easy to use. Check it out.

Last tip of the day: you’re now probably using iCloud to back up your pics, apps, music and videos, but during that time, Auntie Martha decides to call you up with a new apple pie recipe and trashes your whole backup. Bummers! Just slide down the button on the side of your iPhone to airplane mode, and Martha will have to walk over with the recipe.

Send your computer-related questions to mauimist8669@yahoo.com.