data

I suppose it's time to roll up my sleeves and try to 'expose' the inner workings of the scary little box that's humming away on your desk. It's called a Personal Computer, no matter who designed and/or built it. It may have a name associated with it ... such as Macintosh (or Mac), Dell, IBM, Gateway, or any of a myriad of names depending where you live and what you decided to buy. No matter what name is associated, all desktop Personal Computers (or PCs) have a few basic components that are common. Laptop systems have the same array of components but they are usually not accessible like in a ... (view more)

If you know me personally, then you might say that I'm a creature of habit. The clothes in my closet all look similar (except they're different colors); my entire house is painted the same color, and on the weekends, I go to the same local pub to ... meet up with the same friends -- week in, and week out. So you might say I live a simple life, and things are pretty habitual. Well, the same can be said about the type of software I choose to review and recommend to our readers. I typically look for stuff that does what it says, is competitive in the marketplace, and adds value to the overall PC ... (view more)

Three consumer advocate organizations have filed a joint complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting that the Google/DoubleClick merger be stopped. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Center for Digital Democracy, and the ... US Public Interest Research Group submitted the complaint on April 20th. The complaint asserts that "neither Google or DoubleClick have taken adequate steps to safeguard the personal data that is collected." The 11 page document goes on to ask the FTC to halt the merger until the "unfair and deceptive trade practices" are changed. (Source: ... (view more)

If you've been subscribed to Infopackets for any length of time, you've undoubtedly seen a program called "SpeedUpMyPC" recommended in our email newsletters. Judging by name, one might think that SpeedUpMyPC is just another run-of-the-mill system ... optimizer -- but don't click away just yet, because this may be one of the most demystifying articles you'll ever read. ;-) Allow me to elaborate. Back in 2003, I reviewed SpeedUpMyPC 1.0 when it debuted: and it impressed the pants off me -- not just because of the results, but also because it's such a unique product. But I wasn't the only one to ... (view more)

When AutoFilter is activated, Excel recognizes that a calculated total should reflect only the record that are currently displayed in the data list. For example, in a data list of business expenses with an Amount field, it would be possible to ... create a formula at the bottom of the field that reflects the total amount of only those amounts displayed by the filter. The SUBTOTAL function is used to calculate a total amount based on a filter. Follow these steps to use the SUBTOTAL function with AutoFilter: Click in a cell in the column to subtotal. Click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending. On the ... (view more)

In addition to filtering a data list based on unique values in a data field, Excel provides a Top 10 filter which that displays the top 10 (or a number that the user defines) values in amount or percent, based on numeric data. Follow the steps below ... to apply the top 10 filter: Position the active cell anywhere within the data list or within the header row. Choose Data | Filter | AutoFilter. Drop-down arrows appear along the top row of the list. Click on the drop-down arrow of the field to filter. The Top 10 filer can only be applied to numeric fields. Choose Top 10. Select the desired options ... (view more)

Sorting data refers to organizing the records in a data list so that they are presented in a certain order. If data is arranged in a list structure, data can be automatically sorted by choosing one individual cell within the list to define the sort ... criteria. All corresponding data will be repositioned on sort order. The Sort Ascending and Sort Descending button on the Standard toolbar can be used to quickly sort a list by one column. Follow the steps below to sort by one column: Select one cell anywhere within the field (column) upon which the sort will be based. Click on the Sort Ascending ... (view more)

A reader recently inquired: " In MS Outlook, how can I get all of the items from a Contact's Activity Page to copy into MS Word? " With Outlook Business Contact manager, you can capture and track opportunities so follow up on business leads, etc. ... You can also efficiently re-use existing business data for other purposes. You can take advantage of existing customer information by importing it directly into Outlook with Business Contact Manager and eliminate the need to re-key the Information. You can export the data to another copy of Outlook with Business Contact Manager, or a comma ... (view more)

By default, the toolbars for Microsoft Graph appear on a single row. Click More Buttons to display additional buttons you can use to build and format your chart. You must change the sample chart and data to reflect your own figures. Each change you ... make in the datasheet will immediately appear on the sample chart. Click the datasheet and type your text and numbers. Press Tab or arrow keys to navigate from cell to cell. Add more rows or columns by typing them. Eliminate data by selecting and pressing Delete. Alternatively, you can keep the data in the datasheet but not include it in the chart ... (view more)

What do you do with a computer that you no longer need? You can always give it away, but then there's worries that another person might have access to previous and private information once held on the PC ... or, you can just store it in a garage and ... watch it take up space and gather dust. Neither option sounds very appealing, does it? ;-) Now computer maker Dell is offering another choice to U.S. consumers: If you own a Dell brand PC or accessory, you can recycle it for free. A company worker will come pick it up from your home at no charge. Computer recycling, however, is hardly a new ... (view more)