Washington - If you work for long hours at the computer, you need to remember one thing: take a break! Researchers at Cornell University have found that workers, who use computer software to remind them to take short breaks and occasionally stretch, end up being more productive. Download a program such as Break Reminder (http://cheqsoft.com/break.html) and set the program up so that you are reminded to take a break every 20 minutes or so. Break Reminder is free. --------
Washington - In Windows, you can do a lot with a file without even opening the application that created it. Explore the right-click menu offered for the types of files that you use frequently. Open Windows Explorer, navigate to a word processing document, for example, and right-click it.
--------
Washington - Need a map fast? National Geographic's MapMachine site (http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine) can get you one quickly. Here, you can browse maps from around the world, and you can use the handy map selector to drill down to just the kind of map you want. Maps generally go to the street-level, and once you have found your map, you can print it or e-mail it using one of the handy links on the site. There's no charge for the service.
--------
Washington - Ink jet or laser printer? If you print only text-based documents with the occasional graphic and you do not need photo printing capability, a laser will be much speedier and more cost-efficient. The cost per-page of laser printers is generally a quarter that of ink jet printers. Ink jets, while inexpensive to purchase, are expensive to run because replacement inks costs more per page than laser toner cartridges.
--------
Washington - Online encyclopaedias are a great idea, but most of them aren't free. One exception is Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com), which allows you to search its extensive database and provides enough information to get the average student or information seeker started. The site also includes several free e-mail-based services, including a "today in history" e-mail message and an automated "topic tracker," which claims to deliver the latest information on a topic of your choice directly to your e-mail inbox.
