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Technology News and Information

July 2005: in this issue...

1) Widget Wonders Part 2
2) Adobe Illustrator Tip: Managing Workspaces
3) The Internet Can Be Better

Widget Wonders

In the June issue of SQUIB we showcased some handy Dashboard Widgets nobody should be without. On the lighter side of Dashboard are widgets that are not only useful, they're fun too. Take a look and try out this month's featured widgets...

Marquee
Your local movie theatres and showtimes are listed in a fabulous marquee in this widget. Type in your zip code (picture 2) and the shows are listed for your area (US only). The small arrows allow you to move up and down through the movies and theatres. Place your mouse arrow over a particular movie to get all the showtimes to scroll for a complete listing.

All Recipes
Finding new or alternative recipes has never been easier. The extensive database of www.AllRecipes.com can be accessed through a new Dashboard widget. Choose from the long list of categories and search by keyword. The resulting top 20 recipes are loaded into the widget window.

If one of the recipes tickles your fancy, get more info on it by clicking the recipe title. Your browser will launch the website where it can be found.

Sing That iTune
This widget is a must for any music fan. Sing That iTune provides the lyrics to most songs in your iTunes library. If Sing That iTune can't find the lyrics, you can add your own or click the Google button to search for the lyrics.

But this widget doesn't stop there, click on the artwork appearing next to the track title and a controller appears giving you access to the pause, play, forward, back, and volume settings for iTunes.

Quick recap about Dashboard for Mac OS X 10.4 Users: It's similar to Exposé with the application popping up in front of your Desktop at the click of the mouse button or function key. Dashboard gives you quick access to mini-applications called "Widgets." Each widget has a different function, some need Internet access while others don't, but all activate at the click of a mouse button.

You can find more widgets at Apple.com/macosx/widgets. More tips on helpful widget are coming your way in the next issue of SQUIB.

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Eliminating the Project Shuffle

Adobe Illustrator is an extremely flexible program - useful for letterhead and letters, advertisements, web graphics, and much more. These projects, with their varied dimensions and varied degrees of detail, require the spectrum of Illustrator palettes.

To make things easier, Illustrator allows you to save your workspace configurations for ongoing use.

Managing Workspaces Is Easy and Efficient. When you open a file with the task of editing the text, you may want to quickly access the text palettes and close other unnecessary palettes. By having a workspace saved, in this case for editing text, you can work more efficiently.

To save a workspace, first, arrange the necessary palettes where you find them to be most convenient.

Then, choose Window > Workspace > Save Workspace...

Next, in the Save Workspace dialog window, give a name to your workspace, and click OK.

Repeat the steps above for any frequently used workspace, perhaps for web graphics or logo design. If you need to return to the default workspace (as it appeared upon initial launch), choose Window > Workspace > [Default].

To delete or rename your workspaces, simply choose Window > Workspaces > Manage Workspaces. Add, delete, or rename workspaces using the dialogue.

To sharpen your Adobe Illustrator skills, join Illustrator Tools and Concepts for Intermediate Users in August. Visit our seminar page for more details.

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The Internet Can Be Better

If you're using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you may be missing out. For a long time these trusted browsers were at the top of the Internet Browser game.

Today, Mozilla Firefox (for Windows and Mac) and Safari (Mac only) take surfing the Web to the next level with features like tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, and Google Search in the toolbar.

Tabbed Browsing
If you haven't seen or used the awesome ease and flexibility of tabbed browsing, prepare to be amazed. Tabbed browsing enables you to open multiple web pages at once in the same window, like file folders in a drawer.

The tabs load the pages in the background so they are ready to be viewed when you're ready to view them. With tabbed browsing, click back, back, back to get to your original page is no longer necessary.

Pop-Up Blocking
Pop-ups are the unrelenting telemarketers of the Internet. Fortunately there is a sort of "no-call list" available in Firefox and Safari - pop-up blocking. A simple check-box in the Firefox and Safari preference will establish your desire for no pop-ups while you browse the Internet.

Searching Savvy
Within the toolbars of Firefox and Safari is a Google Search pane. Why is this so great? You have no need to click to www.Google.com to access the search engine. It's right there. Type in your keyword or phrase and - BAM! - the results load into the current window. This feature is super cool for those of us that frequent Google.

Safari users get a bonus with their Google Search. With Safari, click to read more items within your search without fear of losing your search results. Next to the Google Search in the toolbar is a "Snap Back Button" that will instantly bring back your original search.

The pictures below show Safari (picture 1) and Mozilla Firefox (picture 2) with the tabs and Google Search panes circled.

On top of the great features listed above, Firefox and Safari both enable you to import favorites/bookmarks from Internet Explorer and other browsers, minimizing the learning curve of using these alternate browsers. Also, these browsers have a heightened level of security to keep your computer safe from spyware.

Download Mozilla Firefox <http://www.mozilla.org> or
Safari <http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/safari.html>.

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