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How to get started using Twitter

Twitter has been around for a while, but with its coming integration with iOS 5 and the unbelievable number of celebrities who continue to join, Twitter is becoming kinda cool.

Celebs aside, there are many more useful reasons to join Twitter. Breaking news hits the Twittersphere first, and whether it's a devastating earthquake in Japan or Osama bin Laden's death, users are always the first to know.

You'll find that Twitter isn't a place where people discuss breakfast (OK, sometimes), but a place for people to connect over common interests and share information.

See for yourself. … Read more

How to look inside Google+ without an invite

If you haven't received a Google+ invite by now, good luck. The service is over capacity, and it might be a while before Google invites more users into its "field test" period. However, you can still get a peek inside Google+ without an exclusive pass.

As Search Engine Land points out, Google+ users can selectively choose to make posts public. So when CNET reporter Declan McCullagh posted his thoughts on Google+ yesterday, anyone could access it.

Google is indexing these public posts, and although it's not immediately obvious, anyone (including non-members) can see them. Here's … Read more

How to change the default font in Gmail

Composing electronic correspondence can lack the personal touch that handwritten notes and letters possess. As a substitute, you can still change the font style on letters to friends and family--revealing just a small piece of your personality compared to your own handwriting. However, it adds just enough to make it seem less robotic and more "you." Here's how to change the default font in your Gmail, so you don't have to manually choose it every time:

Step 1: Log in to Gmail from your Web browser.

Step 2: Open the settings menu in the upper right-hand … Read more

5 tips for securing your files in the cloud

Cloud storage frees us up in many ways: we can work from anywhere, share files with anyone we like, and avoid worrying about hardware failure. There's a hidden price in data risk, as the recent security problem with Dropbox showed. The Dropbox snafu left its users' files vulnerable to snooping and worse. With just a few fairly simple steps, you can shore up your cloud protection to the same level you have at work or at home. Here's what you need to do:

Try not to store anything sensitive on the cloud. It seems obvious, but the best … Read more

How to disable Chrome's PDF viewer

Google Chrome's built-in PDF viewer can make opening PDFs super quick. Unfortunately, you don't have access to all of the same tools you can use in apps like Adobe Reader. So how can you choose to download or open PDFs in standalone apps rather than the browser window? It's a quick fix if you follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Chrome and type "about:plugins" into the omnibox at the top.

Step 2: Scroll down and find Chrome PDF Viewer.

Step 3: Click the "Disable" link to prevent PDFs from loading within Chrome.… Read more

How to import files to Google Docs from the Web

If you like to keep a copy of images, PDFs, or other documents that you find on the Web, this trick is for you. Rather than having these files clutter up your desktop or other folders, you can import them directly into your Google Docs account to view at a later time. First, though, make sure the file type is supported by Google Docs. If you're not sure about a file type, check this list, and then follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the page that has a link for the file you want to save in Google … Read more

Remove embarrassing YouTube videos, untag Facebook photos

As the saying goes, "online is forever."

Once material has been uploaded to a Web server, it begins to propagate to other servers and to the PCs of Web browsers. Removing all traces of an image, video, post, or other information on a Web site becomes more difficult the longer the data resides on a public server.

Even if you sign up for a service such as Reputation.com that promises to excise inaccurate, unflattering, or other private data from public sites, there's a chance the material will resurface somewhere. (I described Reputation.com's privacy-protection services … Read more

How to take a screenshot of a whole Web page in Chrome

Screen captures can be immensely useful for education, support, presentations, etc. When capturing Web pages, your captures are typically limited to what is viewable on the screen. A Chrome extension by Google, however, allows you to capture an entire page. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to the Chrome Web store and search for "screen capture" in the search box.

Step 2: Select the "Screen Capture (by Google)" extension and install it.

Step 3: After installation, click on the Screen Capture button on the Chrome toolbar and select Capture Whole Page or use the keyboard shortcut, … Read more

How to fix blurry Firefox 5 fonts

Do fonts look blurry to you in Firefox 5? Some users have been reporting issues with fonts looking blurry in Firefox since version 4. Here are a couple of things you can try to improve the quality of font rendering.

Turn on ClearType in Windows Vista/Windows 7 Step 1: Click the Start button, then enter "cleartype" in the "Search programs and files" box and select "Adjust ClearType text."

Step 2: Make sure that the check box for "Turn on ClearType" is checked and click Next to go through the ClearType tuner.… Read more