Main > Technology > Computers > Networks > Networks & connections > Wireless networks
Modem and router in one: If you don't already own a modem, it is simpler and cheaper to get a wireless router with a built-in modem.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Try stuff out: If you don't like an item you bought on ebay, simply sell it on ebay again.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Selling item title: When selling an item, pay most attention to the title of the item you are selling. Make sure it contains all the keywords a buyer might be looking for.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Check prices: Find out what kind of price similar items, or the same item has been selling for, by going to "Advanced Search" and then place a check mark in the "Completed items only" checkbox.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Buy in bulk: Buy in bulk, and then sell individually. Search suggestions (don't use the quotes): "baseball lot", "football lots" (notice the use of singular and plural), "clothes bulk".
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Politeness: Put something friendly at the end of your auction listings. For example, "Thanks for looking". This builds confidence and a sense of goodwill.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Old: Try a search for "old", and see what interesting items you can find.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Night owls: If you find yourself unable to sleep during the wee hours, say, 3 o'clock in the morning, do yourself a favor and cruise eBay for a while in search of bargains listed (foolishly!) to close at this time. When everyone else is asleep, that is the time to snag a bargain.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Feedback rating: Don't sell valuable items until you have a reasonable feedback rating. If your feedback rating is less than 10 people are likely to bid significantly less for your item.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Sniping: Bidding in the closing seconds of an auction is often successful, and doesn't allow the previous high bidder enough time from reconsidering whether to increase their bid.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Ebay
Cents matter: When selling, make your reserve price $19.99 instead of $20.00, to save on fees. And when buying, bid $10.02 instead of $10, to outbid those who like to bid in whole dollar amounts.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Operating systems > Windows
Keyboard shortcuts: Using the "Windows" key on your keyboard (bottom left) can speed things up. For example, "Windows-D" will bring your desktop to the top. Hitting "Windows-D" again will restore all your other applications as they were. Alt-tab will let you switch between applications (keep the alt-key held down). Tab and shift-tab is a quick way to move between different fields.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Operating systems > Windows
Shortcuts for tabbed-browsing:
1. Ctrl-click will open a link in a new tab, as will clicking the middle mouse button (or mouse wheel). Shift-click will open the link in a completely new window.
2. You can drag tabs to different locations on the tab bar.
3. Ctrl-T to open a new tab.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Operating systems > Windows
Vista:
If you're using "Aero" interface,
Windows-Tab (Windows key and tab key together): brings up a nifty 3-D "switch between windows" dialog. Use your mouse wheel to scroll the windows, and click on the window you want to switch to.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Operating systems > Windows
Windows Key shortcuts:
Windows-D: Desktop (and restore apps).
Windows-R: Run dialog.
Windows-Tab: (with Aero) switch windows.
Windows-E: Explore.
Windows-F1: Windows help.
Windows-F: Find.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Auto-complete: To automatically create an implementation stub for newly declared type procedures, hover the mouse over the procedure's parameter until it shows as a link, then press Shift-Ctl-C. E.g. procedure SetFilename(const Value: string) // 'Value' is a parameter.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Save run-time memory: Under Tools/Options/VCL Explorer, uncheck 'Autocreate forms'. In the program (*.exe) delete any other Application.CreateFormX other than the MainForm. Now declare any unit variables in the Main Form as global variables, instead of in child units, and create/destroy them in the Main Form. This means instances are created only when needed. Otherwise, they'll all be created at run-time, then continue to suck up resources while remaining hidden.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
To make non-resizeable dialog boxes, change the Object Explorer BorderStyle property to BsDialog.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Child classes inherit parent functionality, unless the common function ends with '; virtual;' in the parent, and '; override;' in the child.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
A variable of a parent class can actually be created in implementation as a child class. This is called polymorphing. For example,
var SomePerson: TPerson;
// where TPerson is the parent class
begin
SomePerson := TEmployee.Create
// where TEmployee is the child class
But the polymorph variable cannot use child functions that the parent doesn't have.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Grandchildren without 'overrides' take the child's functionality. The rendering works up the inheritance chain from youngest to the base class (the parent).
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Visibility: classes' members are divided into private, public, protected, and published:
- Private: visible to other members in the same class or other classes in the same unit;
- Public: visible to other members in the same class, descendents of the same class, and other users of the unit;
- Protected: visible to members in the same class, and descendents only;
- Published: run-time type information, visible only at run-time, e.g. what the IDE can see in the object inspector.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Additional visibility: 'strict private' and 'strict protected'. This means no friendship between classes in the same unit.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Object Inspector: arrange items alphabetically by right-clicking on OI and choosing arrange by name.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Right-click the executable program in file structure menu to view source.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
When making dialog boxes modal, make sure the Object Inspector property 'ModalResult' is set to mrOk.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Scroll-bars: add these to a form by selecting ssBoth in the Object Inspector ScrollBars property.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Menu Item dropdown list separator bar: Using the ActionList component, click on a new item space in the mini-designer, then enter a dash (-) in the Object Inspector Caption property.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
To help tell the difference between objects, prefix names with letters:
T = Type
F = Field
A = Parameter
U = Unit
frm = form
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Another short-cut: Shift between interface and implementation declarations with Ctl+Shift+arrows.
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Main > Technology > Computers > Operating systems > Windows
Windows-Pause_Break - System Properties
Windows-L - Lock the session
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Dynamic components: You don't have to drop components on your form, but can create them dynamically. e.g., in the general case, component := tcomponent.create(self);
or in the specific case,
btn := tbutton.create(self);
This provides advantages when you want to compile your program on different machines, or when you want to use different versions of the same component. This method can also be used to access third party components in Turbo Delphi (ie, the free version of Delphi), which doesn't allow the installing of components into the IDE.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > Delphi
Creating short-cuts:
- Prefix the desired short-cut letter of a caption with the symbol '&' , in the Object Inspector.
E.g. Button1 / Caption: &Delete
or
- Using an ActionList (non-visual component), choose a ShortCut for the list item from the drop-down list in the Object Inspector, or type in one of your own creation.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Domain names
Choosing a domain name:
- Choose a name that matches your site name or product.
- Keep the domain name as short as possible, at the same time as being meaningful and easy to remember. Avoid dashes in the name if you can, although sometimes they are helpful.
- .com names are preferable because searches tend to try .com first. Also, since .com is one of the oldest extensions it can help establish that your business or website has probably been around for a while, and may be more reliable.
- Avoid trademark names.
- Get your perfect domain name before somebody else does.
- If you want yourname.com, you may also want yourname.net, and point the latter to the same website as the first.
- If you want, say, tulip.com, you should also want tulips.com.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Domain names
Register your domain names a few years in advance if you want to be sure of keeping possession of your domains. There are many unscrupulous domain registrars out there, and things can go wrong at the time of renewing domains.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Programming > PHP
Slashes and quotes: Make sure you thoroughly test your PHP code when it displays text that may contain quotes and slashes (such as "John's/Jonathan's"). This should be tested both with "magic_quotes" turned on, and also with it turned off. Very few sites get this right, and you will often see displayed text, such as product names, which contain any number of slashes that shouldn't be there.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Whitelist senders by adding them to your Gmail contacts. This will ensure that these messages won't be marked as spam.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Automatically download your Gmail email into your favorite email program (such as Outlook express, or Windows Mail) by setting your Gmail account's POP settings, and following the setup instructions provided by Gmail. This is also a good way to keep a backup of your Gmail messages.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Have your domain's email directed to Gmail: If you have a domain hosted on a shared server and you don't trust the reliability of the email from it, you can have all your email directed to Gmail instead of your domain, by changing the email MX setting in your web hosting administration panel. (Only do this if you know what you are doing)
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Import contacts (names, email addresses, etc) into Gmail by exporting them from your local application as a comma-separated file, and then importing them into the Gmail contacts.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP)
Save time by only checking your email several times every day. This way you can be in control of your email, rather than it being in control of you. If your email is automatically checked every 5 minutes it can prove to be a distraction.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP)
A few quick tips:- Write a meaningful subject line.
- Keep the message short and clear. Use blank lines between paragraphs. Don't use all caps.
- Avoid attachments if you can. They can cause complications.
- Identify yourself clearly.
- Proofread before sending. Mispellings or grammatical errors can make you appear foolish.
- Don't assume privacy. What you write in an email may appear on the Internet forever.
- Distinguish between formal and informal situations. Abbreviations and smilies :-) are more appropriate among friends.
- Respond promptly. Even if it is just to say that you can't respond right now.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP)
Templates or copied drafts can be used for commonly sent emails or paragraphs, whereby you only need to change one or two things instead of typing the whole text each time.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Keyboard shortcuts can speed things up. You can enable them from your Gmail settings page.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Deleting spam messages from the spam View is not necessary, since Gmail will do this for your automatically once a spam entry is 30 days old. Before that time, if you inadvertently mark a message as Spam, you can always go into the Spam view and move it back to the Inbox, which "unmarks" the message as Spam.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Show only unread messages: Search mail for label:unread label:inbox ( link )
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Gmail notifier: ( link ) can be used to notify you when you have received new mail in your Gmail account, and also enables Gmail to be your default email client within Windows.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Email & VOIP (voice over IP) > Gmail
Backup your most important files to your Gmail web space. You can do this by sending a message to your Gmail address and attaching the file you want to backup. You may need to compress the file in a RAR archive. And you will probably want to securely encrypt the file as well.
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Main > Technology > Computers
Your important files should be backed-up to an offsite location. Your most important files can be backed up using Gmail web space. You can do this by sending a message to your Gmail address and attaching the file you want to backup. You may need to compress the file in a RAR archive. And you will probably want to securely encrypt the file as well. Attachments should not be more than a few megabytes in size.
thesource (378)
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Main > Technology > Computers > Internet > Web-development > Content management systems (CMS)
Whether to use a CMS as opposed to raw HTML? It only makes sense to use a CMS (such as Joomla, Drupal, etc) if you are publishing at least 10 new documents a week, with at least several authors or editors publishing this content. As the number of documents, authors and editors rise, a CMS begins to make more and more sense. Otherwise, keep it simple stupid.
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