Is there some way I can hide the mouse cursor when I'm typing? It always seems to get in the way.
In Windows XP, go to your Control Panel and click the Mouse icon > Pointer Options tab. Near the bottom of that window, place a check next to "Hide pointer while typing," followed by OK.In Vista and Windows 7, use the integrated Start > Search to search for "mouse pointer," then select "Change how the mouse pointer looks when it's moving." When the Mouse Properties dialog box appears, place a check mark beside "Hide pointer while typing," then OK.My kids are always sending text messages, and I am curious if there are statistics about the number of text messages young people send? A Nielsen study of 60,000 texting teens reveals that the average teenage texter sends more than 3,500 texts per month. That's 116 per day, seven days a week. If each text only required one minute, that would be almost two hours each day.On Facebook, if a colleague is not Friended with any co-workers but has it configured for Friends Only, would her employer be able to view that person's account?Tell your "colleague" (wink-wink) that an employer, in general, would not have direct access to a person's account under the circumstances you described. In other words, the employer could not view everything posted on Facebook as if he or she were a Friend, but the reality is that anything you post on the Internet, let alone Facebook, should never be considered truly private. Many lives, friendships and careers have been derailed by that assumption.Accordingly, my best advice continues to be that if you have any concerns about the "wrong" people seeing something you might post online, don't post it in the first place.Having said that, Facebook's privacy settings can be confusing, particularly when it comes to the ability to Like or Share anything that appears in your news stream. As soon as someone you are Friends with clicks the Share option, anything that you have posted becomes visible to their entire network of friends and possibly beyond, depending on their privacy settings.An individual who has his or her Wall posting privacy set to Friends of Friends will extend to others any shared information that you may have originally posted. If your employer is a Friend of one of your Facebook Friends, it is conceivable that the employer could see something that you intended to be viewed only by your Facebook Friends.The Facebook scenario you describe is really no different than sending a gossipy email to someone, assuming that it will remain private, only to have it forwarded to others. You cannot unring that bell, so caution is well advised.Mr. Modem publishes "Ask Mr. Modem!" each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by email. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.
Mr. Modem's sites of the week
Beginner's Guide to Making Sushi
Many people who try sushi quickly become addicted to the Japanese delicacy; others have recurring nightmares and their lives are never the same. If you fall into the former category, you can learn to make sushi at home, with your family's unconditional trust and good healthcare coverage.
Wilderness Survival
How well would you do in a survival situation? Could you build a shelter? Could you light a fire without matches? Could you forage for food and purify water? If the door to the mini-bar was jammed, could you call Room Service without screaming hysterically? The contents of this site are taken from actual U.S. Army training manuals, the pages of which can be boiled to make a lovely tea.
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