Mr. Modem: Understanding menu icons, iBooks auto justifications
I was reading instructions on how to change some settings in a program and it said to click the Menu icon. What the heck is a Menu icon?
You have probably seen a Menu icon in the wild, but may not have known what it was. It appears as three small, horizontal lines within a little square, the size of a — well, icon. You will find a Menu icon on the latest versions of browsers, usually located near the top of the screen, often to the right of the Address bar.
You might also find a Menu icon on your smartphone and it also appears in many apps. In the hideous Facebook mobile app for phones and tablets, for example, it provides access to options for Places, Events, Friends, Managing Pages and more.
What appears after clicking or tapping a Menu icon will depend on the device and the app or program, but if you are wondering how to perform a task or change a setting, the Menu icon is usually the best place to look for it.
I read books on my iPad using iBooks, but depending how large I make the font, the line lengths get all jagged and mixed up, with some lines being long and some being short. Is there any way to prevent that?
You can toggle the Auto Justifications feature on iBooks by going to Settings > iBooks > Auto Justifications.
I’m new to using Windows 8, but I frequently can’t find installed programs that I want to use. Is there an easy way to do that?
The Windows Logo Key + X menu is useful, but a poor substitute for the good ol’ traditional Start menu. Instead, press CTRL + TAB, click the arrow button at the bottom left of the Start Screen, or swipe up from the bottom of the screen and a list of your installed programs will appear.
If you can’t quickly locate a program, start typing its name to search for it. Or, in Windows 8.1, click the arrow to the right of “Apps” to sort your programs by date installed, most used, category or name.
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
Ba Ba Dum
This is a language game that lets you practice your vocabulary in one of 14 languages, including my native Svenska. Click Play to begin and select the language you want to practice by clicking the country’s flag. For a real challenge, you can practice in a randomized assortment of languages. You can pick from matching the word to an image, matching an image to the right word, matching the spoken word to the right image, filling in the blanks, or a combination of them all. This site presents a fun way to practice vocabulary in different languages.
Magic Eye
MagicEye pictures were all the rage in the ’90s, and you’ve probably seen them, even if the name doesn’t ring a bell. Here, through dedication and diligent practice, you can sharpen the skills required to view 3-D images hidden within these clever pictures.
This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Mr. Modem: Understanding menu icons, iBooks auto justifications."