Q:
Can you explain to me what an MP4 is? I've obviously heard of MP3, but now there's an MP4?! I'm so lost and confused. Please help!

A:
Yes, there is! I know, isn't it amazing how fast the world of technology develops? It seems like we get caught up on one thing and the next day, there's something new to learn about. I mean, we shouldn't complain, because all of the technology we're surrounded by is what keeps some of us going each day, but it definitely is a little hard to stay on top of everything that comes about.

But even though understanding everything gets a little difficult sometimes, it's not impossible. I promise that after today, you will fully understand one more computer term and you'll be able to check it off your "find out what this is" list! Okay, let's get right into it!

To start with a quick definition, MP4 files are compressed video files. Their main purpose is to make video files much smaller so that they are easier to work with and support. Video files used to be very big in size and they were very difficult to work with. But now, the same files are compressed with the same material and they go by the new name of MP4s.

MP4 files work very similarly to MP3 files in that they are compressed files that do not affect the quality of sound. (In case you're not sure, MP3s are music and audio files, so an MP4 is just taking that to the next level with videos). The term MP4 is also known as MPEG-4 AVC, which stands for advanced video coding. Now, if you're still not sure how the whole MP4 technology works, make sure you keep reading, because it's going to get even more interesting!

Since MP4s deal mostly with video files, they're a little more complex than the MP3 music and audio files. But they're still able to be compressed by using special coding procedures. For example, certain aspects of the files are minimized. Those are usually the temporal and spatial redundancies. The motion and intra estimations of the frequencies are usually transformed as well. And last, but not least, the file goes through a lot of compression and decompression, which is referred to as codec.

Now, I'm sure you're probably wondering buy cialis usa if there's such a thing as an MP4 player, right? Well, yes there is. It works just like any other media player. You can purchase the device at any regular electronics store and you then just hook it up to your computer or television. It really is that easy, even if it doesn't seem like it!

Of course, as with everything else, the MP4 technology has its ups and downs. Let's start with the advantages. MP4s are able to produce videos with a DVD quality at a rate of 1 Mbps or less with a broadband Internet connection. (That's blazing fast!) So, if you were to get an MP4 player, you could get your videos and watch them in a matter of seconds. MP4 players can also play older MP formats, including MP3 audio files.

As for the disadvantages, there will more than likely be several piracy issues within the MP4 technology. The MP3 format went through that as well. As you may already know, there are pirated versions of movies on the Internet that are ready for download at any time. So, with MP4s mainly dealing with videos, the piracy problems are sure to get out of hand as this technology becomes more and more popular. Just keep an eye out for that!

So, there it is. The MP4 technology explained for you in as simple of terms as I could come up with. I do hope you have a better understanding of it now and who knows, maybe you'll be the next person to start MP4ing around!

Really? Are you sure?

I mean, does everyone who received the message really need to see your response?

Sometimes yes, but often no. Yet, we continually hit the Reply to All button (whether intentionally or by accident) and our Inbox becomes unnecessarily full with e-mails we really don't need.

So, you must ask yourself, "What can I do to prevent myself from using Reply to All when I don't need it?"

One idea is to remove the Reply to All button from your Standard toolbar.

That doesn't mean you can't ever use Reply to All again, but it will take deliberate thought to make it happen. No more reflex replies or mistakes.

If you're on board with this idea, let's take a look!

First, you need to locate and click on the down arrow at the end of the Standard toolbar.

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Q:
I've been using Internet Explorer 7 for quite some time now and I think I'm getting pretty good at working my way through it. So, I was wondering if there were any keyboard shortcuts you knew about that I could start using? I'm ready to make my I.E. 7 time even easier!

A:
That's the perfect attitude to have! Yes, it's hard to get used to new things (Web browsers, operating systems, etc.), but if you have a positive outlook on them, they can be pretty easy. I would guess that the person who asked this question downloaded the new Internet Explorer 7 when it first came out and just worked at learning it. Eventually, as you all can see, they were able to get a pretty good handle on it and now they're looking for more. I love it!

Well, either way you look at it, if you're in the search for some IE 7 keyboard shortcuts, you've all come to the right place. I've been keeping a few up my sleeve just for this special occasion! So, shall we take a look at them? I thought you might enjoy that. Here we go!

Now, most of these shortcuts deal with using tabbed browsing. That's one of the main features that came along with Internet Explorer 7. If you're not too familiar with tabbed browsing, these shortcuts may not be very useful to you, but I would suggest hanging on to this tip anyway. Once you do get the hang of tabbed browsing, you can refer back to it and you'll be all set!

1.) Ctrl + T – Opens a new tab in the foreground.

2.) Ctrl + Click – Opens links in a new tab in the background.

3.) Ctrl + Shift + Click – Opens links in a new tab in the foreground.

4.) Alt + Enter – Opens a new tab from the address bar.

5.) Alt + Enter – It also opens a new tab from the search box.

6.) Ctrl + Q – Opens up quick tabs, which are thumbnail views.

7.) Ctrl + Tab or Ctrl + Shift + Tab – Allows you to switch between tabs.

8.) Ctrl + N – Switches to a specific tab number. In this case, N can equal anything between the numbers one and eight.

9.) Ctrl + 9 – Switches to the last tab.

10.) Ctrl + W – Closes the current tab.

11.) Ctrl + Alt + F4 – Closes other open tabs.

12.) Alt + F4 – Closes all the tabs.

Now, here are a few mouse shortcuts for you as well!

1.) Click the middle mouse button (if your mouse has one) on a link and it will open up that link in a background tab for you.

2.) Double click any empty space right next to the last tab you have open and it will open up a brand new tab.

3.) buy cialis soft If you click on the middle mouse button on one of your tabs, it will close the tab for you.

How does all that sound? Pretty cool, huh?! Now, you might want to start memorizing these shortcuts if you think you'll use them a lot. Or, just print them out so that you can have them right by your computer when you're ready to use them. Either way, these simple shortcuts can make your IE 7 experience so much easier!

Do you have trouble with your camera shaking when you're taking pictures? Well, never fear, because I'm here to help! Simply follow the six options below for avoiding camera shake and in no time at all, you'll be taking crisp images like a pro. Let's check them out!

Pods

You can create your own tripod by resting your elbow on your knee when you're in a seated position. You can also bring your other elbow in for even more support. Or, you could try using a cam pod when a tripod seems awkward or cumbersome to use.

Beanbags

Simply get a beanbag and put your camera on it. Beanbags are especially handy when you're doing street photography and traveling light. They really can be used in several different ways when you're trying to avoid camera shake.

Burst Mode

Another technique is to shoot in burst mode and take three to eight shots. That increases the chance of getting a stable shot that looks nice as well.

Wrap Around and Exhale

Wrap the camera strap around your hand a few times to keep the camera close and tight to your head. Also, be aware of your breathing. It's best to shoot while you’re exhaling rather than inhaling, because your body tends to be more still when exhaling.

Get the Hold Right

Take a medium sized tripod, attach your camera to it, fix it in the position as if you're taking a vertical shot, lock it in place, fold up your tripod with your camera still attached and hold it in the sniper position with the tripod over your opposite arm. You can also use a monopod to do this. It works best when working on steady shots that require you to move around a lot. Sometimes just setting up a tripod doesn’t work, because when you need to move, there isn’t much time to readjust your tripod.

Shutter Speed

Go faster! Set your camera to A/TV and crank it to double the focal length. For example, if you're shooting with a 100mm lens, set your shutter speed to 1/250 and use your exposure compensation if it’s darker than you'd like. You can also shoot in RAW/NEF mode and non-destructively adjust the exposure.

Body Language

Holding your elbows firmly against your sides, taking a shoulder-width stance and holding the viewfinder right up against your eye is a good way to steady the camera.

Human Touch

You can always use your friend’s shoulder as a very flexible and adjustable tripod.

Cradle It

You could create a cradle for the lens between your shoulder and your wrist. You could stabilize the hold by balancing your elbow on your knee. By holding the body of the camera with your right hand and gripping the lens firmly with your left, you can take clear photos at 1/25, with a 50mm lens on a 1.6 crop body.

Lie Down

If the previous tip doesn’t work for you, lie down on the ground, holding your breath or leaning up against a tree. You could lie flat and let the lens sit directly on the ground or place your hand flat against the ground and balance the lens on top of it to give yourself some height.

The Death Grip

This involves hand-holding the camera with the strap wrapped around your arm just above the elbow. Then you wrap it around the outside of your wrist and pull it tight. The bottom line though buy cialis online is that it's very effective regardless of which lens you're using.

Add More Weight

Another way to reduce camera shake is to increase the weight of the camera. So, it’s better to use a light weight camera with a heavy battery grip.

Experiment

Keep experimenting with your grip. One grip that works decently is to hold the grip of the camera in your fist, like a roll of quarters, and trigger it with your thumb. That has the effect of letting you get good pressure on the grip. The pressure is good as it has the effect of locking the wrist and stabilizing your joints.

And Finally…

If none of those methods work for you, try this simple one. Put your camera on a steady surface, such as a table. Lean yourself against a wall and get closer to your subject. The less you have to zoom, the less your lens will shake. Have a small tripod attached to the camera. Even pressing that against your stomach or chest will stabilize the camera nicely. Some find it's more effective to train themselves to breathe slower as well. Jogging, swimming, cycling, yoga and other kinds of aerobic exercises should be able to help you breathe slower. You also need to remember your body language. Dig your arms in, stand with your feet apart and exhale before clicking. Happy shooting!

Microsoft received a lot of feedback from its users in regards to showing plenty of alerts and messages when using different versions of Windows. Because of that, Windows 7 has been designed in such a way that users are able to take buy cialis online usa control over the messages they want to see. That's right, when you use Windows 7, you're the only one in control. And it's all thanks to the Action Center. Keep reading to learn even more!

Even if you don't change a thing, you'll still see fewer notifications and icons on your screen, because the Action Center consolidates alerts from 10 Windows features, including the Security Center and Windows Defender.

Rather than popping up with a message in the lower right hand corner of your screen, if Windows 7 needs your attention, you'll see an Action Center icon and you can then find out more by clicking on it. If you don't have time to look at the alert immediately, the Action Center will keep the information for you to address later.

That's it. Just another great feature coming to you soon in the new Windows 7 operating system. Enjoy!