Ask Dave Taylor!

Can the Mac OS X clipboard hold more than one item?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:37:31 -0700

The clipboard is a very simple tool that hasn't changed much in 20 years. You can use Command+C to copy a piece of text or something else into the clipboard. Then you can use Command+V to paste it somewhere else. But what if you need more...

How do I find a friend on Skype?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:07:35 -0700

A number of my friends and business colleagues use Skype and I'd like to be able to chat with them while traveling, but I don't know their Skype account names. Is there some directory of Skype names and/or some best practices about how to search for someone in the Skype universe?

What are all the cool emoticons on Facebook chat?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:08:47 -0700

Hi Dave! Since you're such a computer expert, I bet you know all of the smileys and emoticons you can use on Facebook when you're chatting with someone, right? You know, the :-) that turns into a smiley face, the (^^^) that becomes a shark swimming upwards, and on and on. My pals and I can guess at them, or we can ask the guru... :-)

How do I play Xvid video on a Mac when Quicktime fails?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:53:11 -0700

A friend of mine sent me a copy of his film on the computer as an "AVI" file and Quicktime complains and I can't watch it on my Mac. Rather than look like a clueless twit I'd rather figure it out before I ask him for help: Quicktime complains that the movie is "not in a format Quicktime Player understands". Can you help me out?

How can I pair Keynote Remote (iPhone) with Keynote?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:55:46 -0700

I've been using Keynote for presentations for a long time (Keynote's part of the iWork package from Apple and only runs on Mac OS X). Recently a friend told me about "Keynote Remote", an app that runs on the Apple iPhone and lets you control the presentation, even if you're not facing your computer. Sounds cool, and I downloaded it, but can't figure out how to get the two to talk together.

Do FTC disclosure regulations affect user-generated content?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:05:06 -0700

Hi Dave. Do you have any advice for a Web site that's primarily user generated content, some of which has affiliate links embedded? Do I need to highlight each and every link or can I use a blanket disclaimer to meet the FTC web disclosure guidelines?

How can I import a folder full of photos into iPhoto?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:36:22 -0700

I've been learning more about Apple iPhoto, partially thanks to your great tutorials on the subject, but am stumped. Instead of wanting to grab images directly off my camera, I find that I need to pull in a folder full of photographs from a friend so I can have them as an event. How do I import photos into iPhoto, Dave? If it makes a difference, I'm running Snow Leopard and have Mac OS X version 10.6.1.

How can I get lots of relevant back links?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:40:59 -0700

I have a question about back links. How do you get relavent back links without getting on link farms? I have been using twitter for a while and just started facebook. I was told to get a tinyurl and add a small fishing report on twitter and it would count as a backlink? I have written 5 articles on ezine but find that time consuming and did not help much.

What is the DHS Travel Redress Inquiry Program?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:11:26 -0700

I was trying to buy a plane ticket online and bumped into something called the DHS TRIP. I once had some problems at airport security when the TSA people found a match for my name on one of their watch lists, and understand it's a way for me to avoid that problem in the future, but can you explain how it works, Dave?

How do I create additional user accounts in Microsoft Windows?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:01:26 -0700

I want other people to be able to use my computer without them being able to access my confidential files, and without them being able to infect my computer accidentally with a virus or change system settings that might screw things up. How can I do that by adding another user to the computer?

How can I create a Twitter list?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:26:21 -0700

I've been hearing that all the follow Friday stuff is passé and that we should instead be creating Twitter lists. Um, okay, but I don't see how to do that in Seesmic Desktop, which is how I interact with Twitter. What's the big deal with these lists and how can I create one?

How can I password protect a Microsoft Windows PC?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0700

Many people have their computer unprotected by a password, so that when you turn on the computer, Windows loads up automatically without the user having to type any password to gain access to the computer. If you decide you want to put a password on the computer after all, here's how to do it.

How can I clear my search history in Firefox?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:28:11 -0700

I just noticed that when I start to type in a search query in Google that it pops up with suggestions based on my partial typing fragment. This isn't so useful and actually bugs me because my wife occasionally uses my computer too and, well, I don't want her to see all my random searches. How can I fix it? I'm using Firefox on a Mac, if that makes a difference.

How do I remove a Facebook application?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:27:30 -0700

Somehow I seem to be having an application on Facebook posting to my news stream information about me without ever remembering that I signed up for it. Disconcerting, to say the least! How do I check what apps I have authorized and delete ones I don't want from the Facebook universe?

How do I turn off Windows event sounds?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:14:12 -0700

I want to turn off all the miscellaneous sounds in Windows that make noise when I carry out some action -- like the clicks whenever the web browser goes to a web page, or the dings whenever a box appears on the screen asking me a question. I can turn my speakers off, but I still want to be able to play music or watch movies. Can I disable all the annoying Windows sounds, without turning off music that plays through my computer?