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Thursday, October 19, 2000
Are you trying to stream audio to listeners via Internet? If so, be careful with your selection of streaming technology. If you use the latest technology, many users may be left behind. For instance, I have recently come across several audio streams that can't be heard on Real Player 5 -- only Real Player 7. But Real Player 7 can't be installed on Windows 95 or NT. So users with these operating systems cannot listen to these Real 7 streams.
The people who are "broadcasting" these advanced streams on their Web sites are leaving out many listeners who might want to listen -- especially those who use Windows NT at their offices on fast networks. Those users get error messages when they try to access the audio. In many cases, all they know is that the audio doesn't play -- and they blame it on the people who operate the Web site. If you expect your target audience to listen from work or from older Windows 95 computers, make sure that you test your streams to make sure that they play well with Real Player 5.
Q: Somehow my task bar is now on the left side. How do I get it back to the bottom of the screen?
A: Simply drag it back. The task bar can be dragged to any of the four borders of your screen, and once dragged to a new position, it will stay there until dragged back. Just grab a blank spot on the task bar, holding the left mouse button down while you drag. If you mistakenly grab the edge of the task bar, instead of dragging it, you'll expand the task bar into multiple rows. The
Have a question for David Radin? Contact him at his Web site
problem with docking your task bar on the left or right side is that it takes up more room (because it is as wide as the Start button is). It's also more difficult to read many of the titles of the open windows.
Q: Every time I try to connect to the Internet, it dials the wrong number. It has been happening ever since we moved. How do I get it to dial the correct number?
A: You've probably moved to a new area code or changed phone systems from one that required a nine to dial out to one that does not (or vice versa). The solutions for these problems are similar -- to add a new location or change the parameters of an existing location.
First, open the dial-up adapter that you are using to connect by double-clicking on its icon. If you have already set up two different locations, check to make sure you're using the correct location by clicking on the down arrow next to the "Dialing from:" drop down list. If you see more than one location listed, click on the correct, current location. If you see only one, click on the [Dial Properties...] button to set up a new one.
If you expect to go back to the old location at some point, click [New...] when the dialogue box appears. If you'll never go back, skip that step to simply modify the current location. Now, give your location a new name where it says "I am dialing from:". Then insert the correct area code and check-off the appropriate boxes if you need to dial 9 or if you have call waiting. Then click on [Apply] to accept your changes.
After you click on [OK], you'll see the "Connect to" box again, allowing you to dial your number. Make sure you have the correct location selected before dialing.
David Radin is host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Internet Insider," a local version of which is aired on KDKA AM 1020 at noon Saturdays.
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