Saturday, October 31, 2009

Car buying tips

The recession is taking its toll on the car market. Latest figures revealed the number of new cars registered in January was 31% lower than in January last year and Nissan has announced 20,000 job cuts worldwide with its chief executive having described the global auto industry as being 'in turmoil'.

As far as motorists are concerned, this cloud has a silver lining because if you are looking to buy a car - whether brand new or second hand - there are some great deals to be had.

Here are our top 10 tips on how to negotiate the best deal:

Do your homework

Once you've decided which car you want to buy, do some research online so that when you go into the dealership or speak to the vendor you are in a strong position to haggle. Look to see if there are any similar vehicles for sale elsewhere and see how the prices compare. Even if you are buying a brand new car, the dealer will have room for manoeuvre on the price.

Decide how much you want to pay

Remember there is always room for negotiation when it comes to car prices, especially in the current climate, so decide how much you are prepared to pay for the vehicle (but be realistic) and stick to your guns. Be prepared to walk away though if this price isn't agreed - with a bit of luck you'll get a phone call from the seller or dealer agreeing to your terms.

Use the internet to your advantage

As with many consumer goods, you can often find the best deals on new and used cars by shopping online. With fewer overheads and no commission to pay to salesmen, there can be extensive reductions in price if you pick up a car through an online dealer. However, even if you don't buy outright on the internet, print off some quotes and take them into a local dealership with you - you could even ask a dealer to match the internet price. This is even more effective for used cars - if sellers think you are looking at other options they will be more willing to negotiate.

Try and uncover the invoice price

The invoice price is the amount the dealer paid to the manufacturer for the vehicle and it should be your target to get as close to this as possible - the dealer will obviously expect to make some profit. Some car buying websites will list their invoice price so if you can point this out to a dealer you stand a better chance of lowering the retail price. Similarly, look for information on manufacturer rebates as some companies offer cash incentives to dealers to promote certain vehicles.

Buy at the right time

If you're not too worried about having a 2009 registration plate, then try and time your purchase well. Many dealerships look to shift excess stock ahead of the introduction of new registration plates in March and September so now could be a great time to pick up a bargain. If you're not quite ready to make a purchase, then consider holding off until August as the '59' registration is launched in September. In terms of used cars, keep track of how long they have been on the market - most websites will carry a 'date posted' mark on used car advertisements - so you get an idea of how eager the seller is for a deal.

Let them know you're serious

Dealers will work a lot harder if they think they're going to get a deal so let them know you're there to buy a car if the deal is right. However, don't come across as desperate to buy as this could reduce your chances of picking up a bargain - play it cool.

Take a test-drive with a knowledgeable friend

Just as you wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on first, you shouldn't buy a new car without taking it for a spin. If you're buying a used car it's definitely worth taking someone along with you who knows a thing or two about cars and can point out any unusual sounds or movements. Even if the problems are nothing to be concerned about it could help you when haggling for a better deal. It's also worth checking the vehicle has a clean history - vehicle checks are available online for as little as £3.95.

Get the most for your current vehicle

If you have a car to sell, work to get the best price for it. Trading it in as a part exchange on your new vehicle is the easiest option, but make sure the sales adviser contacts a number of dealers for bids on it so you get the best deal possible. However, if you sell it privately, you'll probably get even more for it.

Shop around for car finance

When talking at a dealership you should only negotiate on the sales price - don't be lured in by attractive finance offers. Dealers often bamboozle prospective buyers with figures and they know how to make a car deal sound tantalizingly good, but don't just focus on the monthly repayments. Find out how much the finance package will cost over the term of the deal. And how flexible is it? For example, what happens if you want to get rid of the car before the end on the term.

Once you are armed with all the answers, compare the cost of the dealer's finance package with that of a standard personal loan. Use our car loans comparison tool to see what you could get from a traditional provider.

Shop around for extras

Many dealers throw in incentives such as car insurance and breakdown cover. On occasions their deals for these products can be attractive - several dealers even offer a year's free car insurance with some purchases. However, you should check that the cover is adequate and ask to see examples of repayment plans without these extras. You could potentially save a significant sum of money if you shop for car insurance and breakdown cover independently.

GENERAL ADVICE WHEN INSPECTING VEHICLES

Check the engine plate on the car corresponds with that given on the registration documents and that it has not been tampered with or changed.

Never buy a car without test driving is yourself. First make sure you are insured to drive it then, if possible, take it on a drive that covers a mixture of conditions i.e. fast motorway driving, slow urban driving, twisting roads and don't forget to check reverse.

BODYWORK

Always inspect the bodywork in good light.

Look for corrosion or rust. Rust is probably the most damaging thing of all on cars over five years old. Surface blisters can be relatively harmless and easily treated but corrosion coming from the inside of the body panels is more serious.

Look for rust at the top and rear of the front wings, along the side sills, below front and rear bumpers and the bottoms of the doors.

Sometimes a rust blemish on the paintwork can indicate more serious corrosion underneath. Press the panel gently with your thumb. If there is a cracking noise it indicates advanced corrosion.

It is usually not worth repairing rust that has perforated the bottom of doors, the bodywork around the front and rear screen rubbers, on trailing edges of bootlids or tailgates and leading edges of bonnets and on rear wing panels. These can only be repaired expensively by specialists and subsequent painting is costly.

Walk around the car and look along the doors and wings from each of the four corners. Any crash repairs will show up if they have not been well done. You will see ripples or a change in the texture of the paint if there is a lot of body filler underneath. Take a small magnet with you, it will be attracted to metal but not to plastic body filler. Look also for variations in the paint colour.

Water stains in the boot, around windows, on carpets and around the sunroof opening may indicate leaks.

STRUCTURAL BODYWORK

Look for rust perforation on inner wings, the bulkhead and any cross members and chassis members visible under the bonnet. If you see any, reject the car.

Beneath the car check side sills, chassis legs, cross members and subframes. Tap suspicious areas with a lightweight hammer, or push hard with your hand to detect the 'give' of weakened metal. Be wary of freshly applied underseal - could be hiding weakened metal.

Check the floorpan for corrosion.

Look at brake pipes, if they are crusted or pitted with rust, these could be dangerous.

Check suspension and steering mounting points for serious corrosion, especially under the bonnet.

COLLISION DAMAGE

A car that has been in a collision can be dangerous, especially if its suspension and/or steering have been damaged. Examine under the bonnet for damage, creasing or replaced inner wings (unsightly welds are a give-away). Also inspect the engine bay forward panels and forward chassis legs for repairs or creases.

When test driving the car the steering should be consistent with no tendency to pull either left or right.

Look under the carpet between the front and back doors for signs of welding or repair in case two halves of different cars have been welded together (cut and shut), which is extremely dangerous.

INSIDE THE CAR

Check the odometer, if the numbers are out of line the mileage may have been altered.

Look to see if the mileage corresponds with the general condition of the car. A worn brake pedal and wear marks on the gear lever indicate a car that might have done more than 60,000 miles. A worn or sagging driver's seat and carpet are other signs of high mileage.

A very low mileage may indicate the car might have been left unused for long periods or used only for short journeys. Both can cause engine problems. A car that has been regularly used and serviced is a better bet.

ENGINE

Have a look at the general state of the engine. A dirty engine and surrounding area suggests that the car hasn't been well looked after and that servicing may have been neglected. Conversely, a sparkling clean engine could have been steam cleaned to disguise problems such as oil leaks etc.

Before starting the engine remove the dipstick and check the colour of the oil. If it is very black the car has probably not been recently, or regularly, serviced. Also check for beige "mayonnaise" on the dipstick, a possible symptom of head gasket leakage.

Check the quantity and colour of coolant. It should be the colour of antifreeze not rusty red. An engine that has been run without antifreeze may have problems.

Listen to the engine starting up from cold. The oil light should go out soon after the engine starts, if it doesn't there may be engine wear.

Heavy rattling or knocking noises shortly after start up could indicate wear of the crankshaft and big-end bearings. Listen for clattering or light knocking noises from the top of the engine which indicate camshaft wear.

Turn on the ignition and open the throttle sharply. Check for black or blue smoke from the exhaust. Blue smoke comes from burning oil and shows engine wear, whereas black smoke is un-burnt fuel and has many possible causes. Check for smooth idling when warm.

When test driving check the engine does not misfire but pulls strongly and cleanly. Check there are no pinking sounds (i.e. metallic rattling sound that occurs when the throttle is open). If the car does misfire and the engine has electronic fuel or ignition control only buy it if the misfire is put right first.

Keep an eye on the temperature gauge or warning light which may indicate overheating.

Finally check for oil leaks.

TRANSMISSION

If the car has a manual gearbox, check the clutch operates smoothly and all gears engage easily. If the gear change stiffens as revs increase the clutch may be worn. Check for clutch slip by driving the car up a hill in top gear.

When driving change down into each gear from a higher speed than normal to test the synchromesh. If the gears baulk or crunch, or if the gearbox whines excessively, gearbox overhaul or replacement are the only solutions.

If the car has automatic transmission check the transmission dipstick for correct fluid level, this is best done with the engine hot and idling. Also smell the dipstick, if it smells burnt steer clear of the car!

When driving check that the transmission changes down into each gear properly under full acceleration and at the right time.

SUSPENSION

Check shock absorbers (dampers) by pushing down hard on the bodywork at the corners and letting go. The car should rebound once just past the level position, then go back i.e. one and a half swings. Any more than this indicates the shock absorbers need replacing.

Listen for knocks from the suspension over poor road surfaces which could indicate worn bushes, joint and dampers. Take a note of the cars handling, if it is vague, "floaty" or bouncy, suspect worn dampers.

Check for fluid leakage from the dampers or struts. Slight weeping is acceptable any more is not.

STEERING

If the steering is vague and heavy the tyres may be worn or under pressurised.

Rock the steering wheel gently while watching the front wheel, there should not be any noticeable delay between steering wheel and road wheel movement. Free play accompanied by a knock will fail the MOT test.

Check for wheel wobble at speed. This is often attributable to unbalanced front wheels. Steering wheel shimmy at low speeds indicated distorted wheel rims.

BRAKES

The brake pedal should offer good resistance and not sink most of the way to the floor when applied.

If a servo is fitted, check that it works by pumping the brake pedal several times, holding the pedal down and starting the engine. You should feel the pedal creep down as it operates.

The care should not swerve when the brakes are applied hard at speed. If it does, it may have seized or leaking wheel cylinders or calipers.

If the car judders when you apply the brakes this implies distorted front brake discs. Inspect discs for heavy scoring or unpolished or corroded areas, they may need renewing.

Check the brake hoses under the wheel arches for cracking, chafing, swelling or leaks.

TYRES

Check the treads and side walls on all four tyres (plus spare wheel) there should be more than 2mm of tread all over the tyre (I think the legal limit is 1.6mm in the U.K. at present) and the sidewalls should not be cracked or damaged. Uneven wear on treads suggests steering, tracking or suspension problems.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

How to Change the Font size of Web page?

If you are visiting a website or reading an e-mail and there is some problem to read text due to color of page or the font too small. You can change the font and color as well to solve this problem.

  • To increase or decrease your font size and color of webpage in Internet Explorer, select the Tools option from the top of your Explorer window and go to the Internet options.

  • Here go the General option and then click on Accessibility button on right lower of the dialog box.

  • Now change the status of checkbox marked "Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages" and next Ignore Colors specified on Web pages", end with Ok.

  • For change the font size select to View option from the top menu and go to Text size option to change it.

Internet Error Codes and Meaning

Sometime you are browsing the internet and trying to open any website, your e-mail and any FTP sites , but you see different error codes there. You should be familiar with these error codes. You can solve these problems if you are well-known with the meaning of error codes.

Error Codes Meaning

400 This is bad request error, First check you may be typing wrong URL name and server could not understand your request.

401 You are trying to open any unauthorized access site or page. Check your username and password if you are trying to open any webpage.

402 Payment Required Error

403 You are trying to open any forbidden page and you are blocked by that domain.

404 Here you are trying to open the webpage that was removed or re-named, also check the URL spelling.

408 This is time out error. you should send the request with in time that the server set for you.

How to Customize Your Browser Toolbar?

You can customize your system web browser toolbar according to your need. There are many toolbar buttons you never used. You can add some mostly used buttons for example "Paste" or "Print Preview" in your browser toolbar or remove with same option.

If you are using Internet Explorer then right click on the empty area of the toolbar and select the option "Customize". Here you will find a list of options in left and right panel, if you want to add any toolbar button then simply highlight it from the left panel and click on the "Add" button. But if you want to remove any toolbar button then first highlight it from the right panel and click on the "Remove" button.

You can also change the order that buttons appear by moving them up and down from the list.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Modern Call Center Solutions Solve a Range of Age-Old Problems

Many businesses are how enlisting the services of call centers to meet customer demands for faster, more reliable, and better services. Modern call centers solve a range of age-old problems. Because the success of a business largely depends on excellent customer relations, technological innovations in communication have resulted in businesses adapting to these innovations. The modern Call center is there to provide quality customer communication services.

Customers now have the ability to communicate through such methods as phone, fax, and email. In response to these varying methods of communication, the modern call centre provides a central location to integrate and respond to all forms of communication. Computer integration is an important factor in combining these communication tools.

Because businesses receive such a high number of calls at all hours of the day and night, communication using a call center allows a quick and easy method of responding to the calls. These call centers reduce periods of being on hold and allows the caller to be directly sent to the qualified person who can answer the customer's query.

Inbound Services: Customer service representatives provide many effective services for a business's customers. Inbound services means receiving communication queries from the customers. These services can include: technical support, general help desk customer service queries, loyalty program management, payment processing services, taking orders for a product or service, subscription services, sales inquiries, and issues with a particular product. Email communications have become an effective tool to update customers about promotions and new products and services. As well, inbound representatives can provide such services as credit card services, travel servicesetc. As well, they are monitored for quality assurance. Most inbound call centers are open 24/7.

Outbound Services: Technological developments have made outgoing calls more efficiently than in the past. Through automatic dialing, call centers will provide a host of services such as selling products or services, email inquiry support, surveys, payment collections, welcoming calls, appointment confirmation, and more.

Surveys for outbound services can include market and branding research surveys and customer satisfaction surveys, and consumer data gathering surveys. Special scripts are created to acquire the appropriate information that is relevant to the needs of the customer and the company.

Software such as SMS software is normally used for email responses to customer queries. Requests for information can be responded to immediately with appropriate scripts that successfully answer the client's questions.

Call centers will keep a detailed report and analysis of inbound/outbound calls and transaction records. Reports will be sent to the client for analysis. Remote access to a call centre database is available using a secure internet connection.

An important benefit of the modern call centre is its cost efficiency. Businesses will be outsourcing so they will not have any equipment, building, operating, and other overhead costs associated with establishing their own customer service department.

Communication is no longer just answering the phone. Call centers provide a number of essential services that help alleviate the daily demands on businesses. Call centers have become an integral part of a successful business. More companies are now taking advantage of these services. Hiring a call centre can greatly improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

About the Author: Asterisk phone systems center offers cost effective telecommunications solutions including open source call center,Asterisk Phone Systems and software, VoIP PBX Vancouver, VoIP PBX Toronto, IP phone systems and other telephony hardware. When looking for VOIP consulting consider these services.

Beginner Bodybuilding Guidelines & Tips

1) The first thing an absolute beginner should do is visit his/her doctor and get the all clear to begin a workout program that will include cardiovascular and weight training.

2) Decide on what are your goals. Do you want to lose body fat and tone up or do you want to gain weight? Doing both at the same time can be achieved too but is very difficult and can lead to zigzag diets.

3) A general guideline is that if your body fat is below 14% you should be ok to bulk up and gain some weight and body fat. If you are above 14% then you should try to first lose some fat and then try to gain the weight. Generally anyone who has a body fat percentage of over 30% is considered to be obese.

4) Have a set nutrition plan before you begin training. 5-6 meals a day are an absolute MUST whether you want to lose bf or gain weight.

5) Have a set training regimen. If you have to, hire a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to show you how to perform the basic exercises. Ask for advice on your routines, either from knowledgeable people in the gym or in our forum.

6) Choose a gym that will have all the basic equipment (benches, squat racks, smiths etc). If you go during peak hours (5pm-8pm) you should try and join the gym with the most equipment around. This will help you finish your workout faster and not wait for someone to get off your machine. Make sure your gym has personal trainers and helpful staff. Cleanliness is also a MUST!7) Don’t just go to the gym to train chest and arms! If you want your progress to be fast you MUST train all muscles at least once per week.

8) Do not tax your body with unnecessary time in the gym. Go in, train hard and get out of there as fast as you can! Growth takes place OUTSIDE the gym while you are eating healthy meals and while sleeping and resting.

9) Cardio training is a good tool for all beginners in order to help them gain some cardiovascular strength for strenuous weight workouts.

10) Always remember that you will progress faster if you contantly apply the following equation to your lifestyle.

Monday, September 28, 2009

10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog

1. Invite Comments - I notice that when I specifically invite comments that people leave them in higher numbers than when I don’t. To some degree this confuses me as most of my readers know that they can leave comments on any post - but I guess inviting a comment triggers a response to some extent. Also keep in mind that new readers that are unfamiliar with blogging don’t always know about comments or how to use them - invitations to participate in well laid out and easy to use comments systems are good for helping them participate.

2. Ask Questions - Including specific questions in posts definitely helps get higher numbers of comments. I find that when I include questions in my headings that it is a particularly effective way of getting a response from readers as you set a question in their mind from the first moments of your post.

3. Be Open Ended - If you say everything there is to say on a topic you’re less likely to get others adding their opinions because you’ll have covered what they might have added. While you don’t want to purposely leave too many things unsaid there is an art to writing open ended posts that leaves room for your readers to be experts also.

4. Interact with comments left - If you’re not willing to use your own comments section why would your readers? If someone leaves a comment interact with them. This gets harder as your blog grows but it’s particularly important in the early days of your blog as it shows your readers that their comments are valued, it creates a culture of interactivity and gives the impression to other readers that your comments section is an active place that you as the blogger value. As the activity in your comments section grows you may find you need to be slightly less active in it as readers will start to take over on answering questions and creating community - however don’t completely ignore your comment threads.

5. Set Boundaries - I noticed that shortly after I set the rules for my comments section (with a comments policy) that my comment numbers jumped up a little. I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence or whether readers responded to knowing what was and wasn’t acceptable. It’s just a theory but I think a well managed and moderated comments section that is free of spam and that deals with well with people stepping out of line is an attractive thing to readers. I personally don’t mind people expressing different opinions to one another in comments but when I sense things are getting a little out of hand and too personal I often step in to attempt to bring some order to the situation (I rarely delete non spam comments). I find that people have responded to this and that comment threads generally stay constructive as a result.

6. Be humble - I find that readers respond very well to posts that show your own weaknesses, failings and the gaps in your own knowledge rather than those posts where you come across as knowing everything there is to know on a topic. People are attracted to humility and are more likely to respond to it than a post written in a tone of someone who might harshly respond to their comments.

7. Be gracious - Related to humility is grace. There are times where you as the blogger will get something wrong in your posts. It might be spelling or grammar, it could be the crux of your argument or some other aspect of your blogging. When a someone leaves a comment that shows your failing it’s very easy to respond harshly in a defensive manner. We’ve all seen the flaming that can ensue. While it’s not easy - a graceful approach to comments where you admit where you are wrong and others is right can bring out the lurkers and make them feel a little safer in leaving comments.

8. Be controversial? - I put a question mark after this one because it doesn’t always work (and I personally avoid it as much as I can these days) - but there’s nothing like controversy to get people commenting on your blog. Of course with controversy comes other consequences - one of which is the risk of putting off less vocal members of your readership.

9. ‘Reward’ Comments - There are many ways of acknowledging and ‘rewarding’ good comments that range from simply including a ‘good comment’ remark through to highlighting them in other posts that you write. Drawing attention to your readers who use comments well affirms them but also draws attention of other readers to good use of your comments section.

10. Make it Easy to Comment - I leave a lot of comments on a lot of blogs each week - but there is one situation where I rarely leave a comment - even if the post deserves it - blogs that require me to login before making a comment. Maybe I’m lazy (actually there’s no maybe about it) or maybe there’s something inside me that worries about giving out my personal details - but when I see a comments section that requires registration I almost always (95% or more of the time) leave the blog without leaving the comment that I want to make. While I totally understand the temptation to require registration for comments (combatting spam in most cases) something inside me resists participating in such comments sections. Registration is a hurdle you put in front of your readers that some will be willing to leap but that others will balk at (the same is often said about other comments section requirements that go beyond the basics). Keep your comments section as simple and as easy to use as possible.

Friday, September 25, 2009

How to Beat the Recession? Seven Golden Tips for a Successful Career

There is no one who does not aspire to excel in his/her career & reach the star. In today’s era of dynamism & great competition, I don’t think that heavy university degrees can contribute too much in your success. Impressive degrees undoubtedly act as a rock in the soil, but apart from that we need to understand the superiority of smart working over hard working in this environment of fast change.

What we need is a Tip-Top & pleasing personality. Even if you happen to be highly qualified & intelligent, but haven’t cared to improve your personality; you are liable to be branded as an old fashioned owl & you may not achieve the level of success, you think you deserve. Having realized the underlying fact, this is the high time for you to change yourself. I am giving below 7-Golden Tips to transform your personality by virtue of which you can beat any type of recession & march on a highway to success in your professional career.

Tip No. – 1: Demonstrate your Importance: Keep yourself engrossed in worthwhile / value added activities that could help you develop your importance among your circle. You must be always conscious of your ultimate career goals & most important issue is that you must have chalked out some realistic / may be a bit difficult plan to achieve your career objectives. It is essential that you make your presence felt effectively. For that you must develop patience & remain ever aware of your real talent, that ought to be capitalized effectively & that too at the most appropriate time. Remember that if you fail to hit the nail right on its head at the proper time, you may miss an opportunity of impressing others about your talent & importance.

Tip No. – 2: Cultivate Positive Attitude: Be positive & optimistic in your approach. You must deploy your best potential to achieve your short-term & long-term goals with positive attitude. Always keep yourself motivated, which will help you in keeping your professional confidence alive. Try to identify & drop your negative traits & try to develop the opposite – positive habits. Being kind hearted & ever eager to help others at an hour of need, is a very good attribute that improves the personality. However you need to be conscious that no one should take you for a ride out of your kind-heartedness. Tip No. – 3: Develop Right behavior: Your behavior with others is of prime importance in shaping your personality. Try to find out that you are not like many people who are habitual of indulging in unwanted arguments with anyone over trivial issues & who occasionally fail to pay due respect to others. This type of behavior casts a negative impact on one’s personality. Try to be true to your words & must never break a promise, once made; else your sincerity will come under shadow, which is going to be a strong impediment in your success. Tip No. – 4: Introspect periodically: It is ideal to have a check-list of do’s & don’ts or a diary where you can record your activities of the day, especially the ones where you happen to slip out of the planned do’s. Try to fix some sort of small self-punishment for every deviation from the defined do’s. For instance you may decide to donate say 10 cents for every lie from you. In case of a time constraint, introspection at least once a week needs to be done. Be true to yourself while introspecting; remember that you are not going to impress anyone by hiding the facts. You should not tell a lie to yourself. Such introspection will be a great eye opener for you, which will improve your personality gradually. Tip No. – 5: Care for your Dress: Be cautious of your body language & your dress. Your body language & your dressing sense are true reflections of your personality. Proper dress plays a vital role in developing a dynamic personality. Be careful of your dress that needs to be neat & clean always. Too tight or too lose dress is a sign of negative personality. Excessive repetition of dresses also sends negative signal among people whom you meet frequently. We need to avoid transparent apparels in office.

Tip No. – 6: Develop Creativity: You don’t have to repent if you are not a born leader. Creativity is the biggest factor due to which you act with added strength & vigor. It is proven that by lack of creativity you & your company can lag behind your competition to a great extent. Appropriate environment contributes a lot to your creativity. Check if your environment is obstructive or supportive to your creativity. Remember that neat & clean surroundings to your work place are highly conducive to your creativity, while a disorganized one is bound to have adverse effect on your creativity. The gist of creativity lies in your being an out-of-the-box thinker & a positively dissatisfied person. Tip No. – 7: Be a Problem Solver: Try to be the first to suggest remedies to come out of any type of crisis in your office. Never try to fuel the crisis & complicate the situation, rather try to contribute in a way helping in controlling the situation

Tips and Tricks to Master the Web

1. Receipt notification If you have a really important message and need to know if it’s been received, use a feature called Read Receipt in Outlook Express. This feature is available on most e-mail clients and requests the recipient to confirm that he has received the message by a return e-mail. To do this while composing a mail in Outlook Express, click on Tools > Request Read Receipt in your message window. If you desire, you can have all your outgoing messages sent with the Read Receipt notification. For this, go to Tools > Options, click on the Receipts tab and tick ‘Request a read receipt for all sent messages’. Remember, the read receipt confirmation is dependent on the e-mail client the recipient is using and also whether he wants to send the confirmation. 2. Adding signatures to your e-mail If you send a lot of mail each day, then a repetitive task like signing your name at the end of each mail can be quite tedious. It’s easier to create a signature and attach it automatically to every mail that’s sent. To do this in Outlook Express, go to Tools > Options > Signatures. Then go to New and add the contents of the signature in the Edit Text field. Also select the option of sending the signature automatically with all outgoing messages. In case you don’t want to send this with replies or forwards, enable the option, ‘Don’t add signatures to Replies and Forward’. For creative signatures, use the option to append a file that contains the signature you have created. If you happen to have multiple e-mail accounts, select the account with which you want to send the signature. To do this, go to Tools > Options > Signatures and click on the Advanced button near the Edit Signature tab. A new box will appear saying ‘Advanced Signature Settings’ where you can select the account with which the signature should be automatically added.

3. Auto-respond facility Won’t be checking mail for some time? Activate a feature called ‘vacation reply’ (if you are using a Web-based service). Most e-mail services such as Indiatimes provide this feature which can be activated through the options menu. You can type a short message which will be sent to all who e-mail you while you are away. In Outlook Express, you can do this from Tools > Message Rules > Mail and clicking on the New Rule option. Select the ‘For all Messages’ options from the condition for your rule field and in the Action select Reply with a message. You will have to select a message that you have already created and saved.

4. Keep a copy of the message If you are on a trip and want to access your e-mail from another machine, keep a copy of your messages on the server of your e-mail service provider. Go to Tools > Accounts and select the account (if you have multiple accounts), then go to Properties > Advanced. Check ‘Leave a copy on server’. This has one more advantage: if you’ve formatted your machine without taking a backup of your mail, you can retrieve the mail as a stored copy.

5. Disable MSN Messenger from auto-starting Whenever one opens Outlook Express or Microsoft Outlook XP, MSN Messenger loads automatically. To disable it, go to Tools > Options in Outlook Express and uncheck ‘Automatically log on to MSN Messenger Service’. Then go to View > Layout and uncheck the option of Contacts. In Microsoft Outlook XP, go to Tools > Options > Other and uncheck ‘Enable MSN Messenger’. The over-eager Messenger won’t be so eager now!

6. Optimising your Inbox A three-step process to ensure that your Inbox never looks cluttered. 1. Organising: Outlook Express allows you to create folders within which mail can be organised. To create a new folder in Outlook Express, go to File > Folder > New. This will display the directory tree of your Inbox. Just select the location (say Inbox) where you want to create a folder and enter the Folder Name. Or, you could use the shortcut [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [E] and enter the Folder Name. You can also drag and drop folders to change their location. Folders can be quite useful, especially if you have multiple accounts configured on the same identity or to sort out e-mail messages on the basis of sender, subject, etc. 2. Filtering: Message Rules can automatically sort your mail into the appropriate folder as soon as it is downloaded. Specify the folders where you want the messages to be downloaded based on names in the From address, names in the To address, certain words in the Subject line or in the message body. Go to Message > Create Rule From Message. Create a rule selecting the appropriate options offered, and the next time you download your mail, it will be sorted according to the rules created. You can also sort your existing messages based on the message rules created. In Outlook Express, go to Tools > Message Rules and click on Mail. You will get a list of the message rules you have created. Click on ‘Apply Now...’, select the rules to apply, and click on Apply to filter your existing folder. 3. Grouping: Outlook Express allows you to group e-mail messages on the basis of the conversation carried. To enable this, go to View > Current View and click ‘Group Messages by Conversation’ (In Outlook, this option is available from View > Current View > Conversation Topic). With this feature, all e-mail messages are sorted on the basis of the subject line and the messages that are a reply to that particular subject are grouped together. A ‘+’ sign next to a message indicates responses based on that subject. 7. Download Mail to your PC If you use a Web-based e-mail service, such as those run by Yahoo! and MSN, download a copy of your mail directly to your browser. This is much quicker than using the bandwidth-hungry Web interface and also allows you to access your mail without having to be connected to the Internet. To do this first add a new account by going to Tools > Accounts > Add and select the Mail option. You will be prompted for personal details and account information. Select the POP3 server option in the screen that asks you for your e-mail server information and enter the appropriate POP3 server address for incoming mail. 8. Browsing offline Quite often you may want to refer to a page that you have visited at some point in time. While finding the link in your browser’s History is not too difficult, you can view the site without actually logging on to the Internet by going to File > Work Offline. Then just click on a link in your History folder to view the complete page from your hard disk.

9. PC-to-PC calls Buddy Phone, Yahoo! and MSN Messenger allow users to make phone calls from one computer to another, provided both computers are online. If you would like to use this facility in MSN Messenger, select your friend’s name from the list and go to Actions > Start a voice conversation. This can also be done by right-clicking on the person’s name and selecting the option of ‘Start a Voice Conversation’. After the opposite person has accepted your request, you can start talking into the microphone.

10. Split files Splitting files can increase download speeds tremendously in FlashGet. Usually, splitting the file in three or five segments is sufficient. However, if you are downloading a particularly large file which is available from several servers, you could get better speeds by increasing the number of segments being downloaded simultaneously. The number of segments that you want the file in can be set in the option box that pops up when a download begins. Just set the option for the number of segments that you want the file to be split into.

File extension and software name

A

.a - library (unix)

.ad - screen saver data (AfterDark)

.adi - graphics (AutoCAD)

.adl - MCA adapter description library (QEMM)

.afi - Truevision bitmap graphics

.afm - Type 1 font metric ASCII data for font installer (ATM - many)

.all - format file for working pages (Always)

.all - general printer information (WordPerfect for Win)

.ani - animation (Presidio - many)

.anm - animation (Deluxe Paint Animator)

.ans - ANSI graphics (character animation)

.ans - ASCII text ANSI character set (NewWave Write)

.asc - ASCII text file

.avi - Audio Video Interleaved animation file (Video for Windows)


B

.bak - backup file

.bas - BASIC source code file

.bat - batch file (DOS)

.bbm - brush (Deluxe Paint)

.bbs - Bulletin Board System announce or text info file

.bch - batch process object file (dBASE Application Generator)

.bcp - Borland C++ makefile

.bdf - Bitmap Distribution Format font file (X11)

.bga - bitmap graphics

.bib - bibliography (ASCII)

.bib - database - not compatible with TeX format (Papyrus)

.bib - literature database (TeX/BibTeX)

.bif - Binary Image Format b&w graphics (Image Capture board)

.bin - binary file

.bio - OS2 BIOS

.bit - bitmap X11

.bm - BitMap graphics

.bmk - Help Bookmarks (Windows 3.x)

.bmp - BitMaP graphics (PC Paintbrush - many)

.bpt - bitmap fills file (CorelDRAW)

.btm - Batch To Memory batch file (4DOS)

.bup - backup file


C

.c - C source code file

.c - compressed unix file archive created by COMPACT

.c++ - C++ source code file

.cal - calendar file (Windows 3.x)

.cal - spreatsheet (SuperCalc)

.cbl - COBOL source code file

.cbm - compiled bitmap graphics (XLib)

.cbt - Computer Based Training (many)

.cc - C++ source code file

.ceg - bitmap graphics (Tempra Show - Edsun Continuous Edge Graphics)

.cga - CGA display font (Ventura Publisher)

.chk - recovered data (DOS CHKDSK)

.chk - temporary file (WordPerfect for Win)

.clp - clip art graphics (Quattro Pro)

.clp - clipboard file (Windows 3.x)

.cls - C++ class definition file

.cmd - batch file (OS/2)

.cmd - command (dBASE - Waffle)

.cmd - external command menu (1st Reader)

.cpp - C++ source code file

.cpp - presentation (CA-Cricket Presents)

.cpt - compressed Mac file archive created by COMPACT PRO (ext-pc.zip)

.cur - cursor image file (Windows 3.x)


D

.dat - data file in special format or ASCII

.dbd - debug info (Clarion Modula-2)

.dbg - symbolic debugging information (MS C/C++)

.dcf - disk image file

.dd - compressed Macintosh file archive created by DISKDOUBLER

.deb - DEBUG script (DOS Debug)

.def - defaults - definitions

.dem - demonstration

.dem - graphics (VistaPro)

.dgs - diagnostics

.dic - dictionary

.dir - directory file (VAX)

.diz - description file (Description In Zip)

.dlg - dialog resource script file (MS Windows SDK)

.dll - Dynamic Link Library (Windows 3.x - OS/2)

.dll - export/import filter (CorelDRAW)

.dmp - dump file (eg. screen or memory)

.doc - document text file

.dos - network driver (eg. pkt_dis.dos)

.dos - text file containing DOS specific info

.drv - device driver eg. for printer

.dsk - project desktop file (Borland C++ - Turbo Pascal)

.dss - screensaver file (DCC)


E

.ega - EGA display font (Ventura Publisher)

.emu - terminal emulation data (BITCOM)

.env - Enveloper macro (WOPR)

.env - environment file (WordPerfect for Win)

.err - error log

.err - error messages for command line compilers

.esh - Extended Shell batch file

.exc - REXX source code file (VM/CMS)

.exc - exclude file for Optimize (do not process) (QEMM)

.exe - directly executable program (DOS)

.exm - MSDOS executable, system-manager compliant (HP calculator)

.ext - extension file (Norton Commander)


F

.fac - FACE graphics

.faq - Frequently Asked Questions text file

.fax - fax (raster graphics) (most Fax programs)

.fdw - form (F3 Design and Mapping)

.fix - patch file

.frm - form (Visual Basic)

.ftp - configuration (FTP Software PC/TCP)

.fx - on-line guide (FastLynx)

.fxd - phonebook (FAXit)


G

.gbl - global definitions (VAXTPU editor)

.gfb - compressed GIF image created by GIFBLAST (gifblast.exe)

.gft - font (NeoPaint)

.gif - Graphics Interchange Format bitmap graphics (CompuShow)

.gly - glossary (MS Word)

.gph - graph (Lotus 1-2-3/G)

.gr2 - screen driver (Windows 3.x)

.grb - MS-DOS Shell Monitor file (MS-DOS 5)

.grp - group file (Windows 3.x - Papyrus)


H

.hlp - help information

.hof - Hall Of Fame (game scores)

.hp8 - ASCII text HP Roman8 character set (NewWave Write)

.htm - HTML document (Mosaic)

.htx - Hypertext file


I

.iax - bitmap graphics (IBM Image Access eXecutive)

.ibm - compressed file archive created by ARCHDOS (Internal IBM only)

.icn - ICON source code file

.ico - icon (Windows 3.x)

.id - disk identification file

.ifs - system file (OS/2) hpfs.ifs

.img - bitmap graphics (Ventura Publisher - GEM Paint)

.inc - include file (several programming languages)

.inf - information text file (ASCII)

.inf - install script

.ini - initialization file

.ins - (WordPerfect) wp51.ins

.ins - installation script (1st Reader)


J

.jas - graphics

.jbd - datafile (SigmaScan)

.jpc - graphics (Japan PIC)

.jpg - JPEG Joint Photography Experts Group format bitmap graphics

.jtf - graphics (TIFF file with JPEG compression)


K

.key - security file eg. Shareware Registration info

.kps - IBM KIPS bitmap graphics

.kyb - keyboard mapping (FTP Software PC/TCP)


L

.lbm - bitmap graphics (DeluxePaint)

.lbm - linear bitmap graphics (XLib)

.lcl - (FTP Software PC/TCP)

.ldb - (MS Access)

.lgo - startup logo code (Windows 3.x)

.lib - library file (several programming languages)

.lis - listing (VAX)

.log - log file

.lpc - printer driver (TEKO)


M

.m3d - 3D animation macro

.mac - bitmap graphics (Macintosh MacPaint)

.mac - macro

.mai - mail (VAX)

.mak - makefile

.mak - project file (Visual Basic)

.man - command manual

.map - color palette

.map - format data (Micrografx Picture Publisher)

.map - linker map file

.map - map (Atlas MapMaker)

.map - network map (AccView)

.mbx - mailbox data (ZERBERUS)

.mci - MCI command script (Media Control Interface)

.mcp - printer driver (Mathcad)

.mcw - text file (MacWrite II)

.mdm - modem definition (TELIX)

.meu - menu group (DOS Shell)

.mid - standard MIDI file (music synthetizers)

.mke - makefile (MS Windows SDK)

.mod - MODULA-2 source code file (Clarion Modula-2)

.mod - Windows kernel module

.mon - monitor description (ReadMail)

.mov - movie (AutoCAD AutoFlix)

.mp2 - MPEG audio file (xing)

.mpc - calender file (MS Project)

.mpg - MPEG animation

.msg - message

.msp - bitmap graphics (Microsoft Paint)

.mst - setup script (MS Windows SDK)

.mth - math file (Derive)

.mtm - MultiTracker Module music

.mtw - datafile (Minitab)

.mu - menu (Quattro Pro)

.mus - sound file (MusicTime)

.mvf - stop frame file (AutoCAD AutoFlix)

.mvi - movie command file (AutoCAD AutoFlix)

.mvw - log file (Saber LAN)

.mxt - (MS C)


N

.nws - info text file (latest news) (ASCII)

.nxt - sound (NeXT format)


O

.obj - object code (Intel Recolatable Object Module)

.ocx - OLE custom control

.off - Object File Format vector graphics

.old - backup file

.ovl - overlay file (part of program to be loaded when needed)

.ovr - overlay file (part of program to be loaded when needed)


P

.pac - STAD Image (graphics ?)

.pac - package (SBStudio II)

.pal - color palette

.par - permanent output file (Windows 3.x)

.pcc - cutout picture vector graphics (PC Paintbrush)

.pch - patch file

.pct - bitmap graphics (Macintosh b&w PICT1 - color PICT2)

.pcw - text file (PC Write)

.pcx - bitmap graphics (PC Paintbrush)

.pda - bitmap graphics

.pdv - printer driver (Paintbrush)

.pgm - Portable Grayscale bitMap graphics

.pgm - program (Signature)

.pgp - support file (Pretty Good Privacy RSA System)

.pgs - manual page (man4dos)

.pic - PIXAR picture file (SDSC Image Tool)

.pic - bitmap graphics (Macintosh b&w PICT1 - color PICT2)

.pic - bitmap graphics (many eg. Lotus 1-2-3 - PC Paint)

.pif - Program Information File (Windows 3.x)

.pif - vector graphics GDF format (IBM mainframe computers)

.pit - compressed Mac file archive created by PACKIT (unpackit.zoo)

.pll - pre-linked library (Clipper 5)

.pnt - Macintosh painting

.pop - messages index (PopMail)

.pop - pop-up menu object (dBASE Application Generator)

.prd - printer driver (many)

.pub - public key ring file (Pretty Good Privacy RSA System)


Q

.qpr - print queue device driver (OS/2)

.qpx - compiled query program (FoxPro)

.qrt - QRT ray tracing graphics

.qry - query (dBASE IV)

.qt - QuickTime movie (animation)

.qwk - QWK reader message file

.qxd - document (QuarkXPress)

.qxl - element library (QuarkXPress)


R

.rdi - device-independent bitmap file (RIFF RDIB format)

.rdx - datafile (Reflex)

.rec - datafile (EpiInfo)

.rec - record file (Sprint)

.rec - recorded macro file (Windows 3.x)

.red - path info (Clarion Modula-2)

.ref - cross-reference

.reg - OLE Registration (Windows 3.x)

.reg - registration (Corel programs)

.rem - remarks

.rgb - SGI RGB image file (SDSC Image Tool)

.rif - RIFF bitmap graphics (Fractal Design Painter)

.rip - graphics (Remote Access)

.rix - bitmap graphics (ColorRIX VGA Paint)

.rmk - makefile (RMAKE)

.rpt - report

.rtf - Windows Help file script

.rtl - text file


S

.sav - backup file (saved file)

.sav - configuration

.sav - saved game situation (eg. NetHack)

.sbd - storyboard (Storyboard Editor)

.sbi - Sound Blaster Instrument file (Creative Labs)

.sbr - support file (Source Browser)

.scc - text file

.scr - DEBUG source code file (DOS Debug)

.scr - screen saver (Windows 3.x)

.scx - bitmap graphics (ColorRIX)

.sea - Self-Extracting compressed Macintosh file Archive

.sec - secret key ring file (Pretty Good Privacy RSA System)

.sec - secured animation file (Disney Animation Studio)

.set - setup options file

.sgi - graphics (IRIS - Silicon Graphics)

.sig - current program settings (Signature)

.sig - signature file (PopMail)

.sit - compressed Macintosh archive created by STUFFIT (unsit30.zip)

.smp - sample (sound file)

.smt - text file (Smart Ware II)

.snd - digitized sound file (Macintosh/ATARI/PC)

.spl - sample

.sum - Summary

.swp - swap file (DOS)

.sys - datafile (SYGRAPH - SYSTAT - SPSS/PC)

.sys - system file - device driver or hardware configuration info (DOS)


T

.tbl - graphics (native format) (PageMaker TableEditor)

.tbl - table of values (OS/2)

.tel - host file (Telnet)

.tga - TrueVision Targa bitmap graphics

.tmp - temporary file

.toc - Table Of Contents

.tre - directory tree file (PC-Tools)

.trm - terminal settings (Windows 3.x)

.tut - tutorial


U

.ub - audio file (unsigned byte)

.uhs - Universal Hint System (binary file)

.uif - long prompts for windows (WordPerfect for Win)

.unx - text file containing UNIX specific info

.upd - program update info

.usr - user database file (Procomm Plus - Turbo C++ tour)


V

.vbx - Visual Basic eXtension (Visual Basic)

.vga - VGA display driver

.vga - VGA display font

.vgd - VGA display driver (Generic CADD)

.vid - MS-DOS Shell Monitor file (MS-DOS 5)

.vid - bitmap graphics (YUV12C M-Motion Frame Buffer)

.vid - screen device driver (Word)

.voc - digitized samples (Creative Voice file)

.vst - Truevision Vista bitmap graphics

.vue - animation (3D Studio)

.vxd - Windows 3.x virtual device driver (QEMM)


W

.w31 - startup file (Windows 3.1)

.wav - Waveform audio file (RIFF WAVE format)

.wbf - MS Windows Batch File (Catch)

.wbt - batch file (WinBatch)

.web - WEB source code file

.woa - swap file (Windows 3.x)

.wrs - Windows Resource eg. printer driver (WordPerfect for Win)


X

.xbm - X11 Bitmap graphics

.xll - Excel Dynamic Link Library (MS Excel)

.xmi - compressed eXtended MIdi music

.xwd - X Window System window dump image graphics (SDSC Image Tool)

.xx - compressed file ASCII archive created by XXENCODE (uuexe515.exe)

.xxe - compressed file ASCII archive created by XXENCODE (uuexe515.exe)


Z

.zip - compressed file archive created by PKZIP (pkz204g.exe)

.zoo - compressed file archive created by ZOO (zoo210.exe)