Mr. Modem: Windows 8 tile tips
I'm struggling to get comfortable with the large tiles that appear on the Windows 8 Desktop. Can you give me any pointers, Mr. M?
You can make the most of your Windows 8 Start screen tiles by adjusting the sizes, locations and what is displayed. Here are five easy Start Screen Management tips:
1. Move any tile by clicking and dragging it. While moving a tile, if you need a larger view of the Start screen, move the tile toward the top or bottom of the screen to zoom out.
2. Use your mouse wheel to scroll left to right through your tiles.
3. Any Desktop shortcut or program can be pinned to the Start screen or Taskbar by right-clicking the icon and choosing Pin to Start or Taskbar.
4. In the bottom right-hand corner of the Start screen is a magnifying glass with tiles. Click this icon to get a zoomed-out view of your Start screen. In this view, if you right-click a group of tiles, you will have an option to name the tile group, which can be useful if you have a group of related tiles. You can also click and drag a group to organize your tile groups.
5. Resize any tile by right-clicking the tile and choosing Resize.
I wanted to get a second Gmail address so I created another account on Gmail.com, but now I can’t get into my original account. What am I doing wrong?
You are not logging out of one account before attempting to log into the other. This is a common mistake, but it is absolutely imperative to sign off every time you finish using an account. If you just click the X in the upper right corner, you are simply closing the window, but you are leaving your account open and vulnerable. This holds true for any online account: You need to log in and log out each session. Failing to log out or sign off is a bit like walking out the door of your house and leaving it open behind you.
In Gmail, click your username in the upper right-hand corner and select Sign Out. When you want to log into another account, go to Gmail.com and enter the appropriate username and password for that account.
Why is it called CD burning as opposed to copying?
Because you are literally burning data. CD and DVD burners/writers work by using a laser to burn the surface of the CD or DVD. Making certain portions of the surface darker by burning creates a digital pattern. DVD and CD players read discs by running a laser over the surface and this pattern provides the player digital information that it can then interpret as data, sound or video.
Mr. Modem publishes “Ask Mr. Modem!” each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by e-mail. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.
Mr. Modem’s Sites of the Week
TwitterLit
This site serves up literary teasers twice daily. At approximately 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST), the first sentence of a book is posted, without the author’s name or book title, but with a link to www.amazon.com so readers can view the source of the excerpt. Interesting, and curiously addictive.
Venice Street View
www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/venice
Thanks to Google Maps, the beauty of Venice is just a mouse-click away. To view the city built on water, start by dog-paddling down the page. The first thing you will see is an amazing aerial view of Venice. Next, check out historical Venice by clicking the markers to investigate the various locations. In the Roam the City section, you can elect to either Explore on Foot or Explore on Vaporetto (water bus). The default is to Explore by Gondola. (Come on, it’s Venice. Go for the Gondola.) To navigate, use your mouse to click around the panorama. Before departing, you will see options to explore other locations such as the Galapagos Islands, Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and Iqaluit. (Yes, THAT Iqaluit.)
This story was originally published March 3, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Mr. Modem: Windows 8 tile tips."