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|   Nov. 1, 2008—Vol. 12, No. 44 Support this free newsletter—please visit our advertisers
CALL ME DURING THE SHOW
 STOP THE POLITICAL PHONE CALLS ALREADY Maybe you feel the same way. In that case, register for the Political Do Not Call Registry. It's free to register one phone number. You may also have registered for the National Do Not Call Registry. Guess what? It does not apply to political calls. DON'T FORGET YOUR FLU SHOT For most people, the flu is little more than an uncomfortable inconvenience. But the flu is much more serious for others. So, it pays to take precautions. You know what I'm talking about! It's time to get your flu shots! No matter where you live, you can get a flu shot close by. But you'll need to find a place that offers them. Just visit my site. I'll help you find flu shots in your area. PAY IT FORWARD: Who likes shots? Don't let your friends and family off the hook. Forward this newsletter to them now. Encourage them to get their flu shots, too! It's for their health, after all. AOL PICTURES SITE WILL CLOSE AOL will help you transfer your photos to American Greetings PhotoWorks. As at AOL Pictures, you'll get unlimited free storage. All you need to do is register for PhotoWorks. Then, provide the user name and password for your AOL Pictures account. You'll be able to access your photos on the PhotoWorks site. You have many choices when it comes to photo sites. So, you may decide to explore other options. In that case, download your photos from AOL Pictures. AOL has a new tool that will help you download them quickly and easily. Or, purchase an archive of your images on DVD. AOL will charge you for the DVD based on how many photos you have. ELECTION DAY IS COMING! No, I'm not asking if you've chosen your candidates yet! I'm talking about the logistics. Do you know what you need to take with you when you vote? Do you know where you will go to vote and the polling hours? If not, don't delay. Head over to Election Protection's site. This nonpartisan site will help you find all the details you need. Select your state for state election information. You can also find your polling location. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. In the section marked Find Your Polling Place, enter your address. That's all there is to do—except cast your vote! FREE SOFTWARE FOR ONE AND ALL If you need a program, visit my Download of the Day site. You won't believe all of the cool programs you'll find! Each is thoroughly tested before I feature it. You never need to worry about viruses, spyware or other nasty tricks. Here are some of my favorite freebies from the past week. Just click on the links below to learn more about the programs. Hurry back, though—I have more money-saving advice for you! • Running programs on start-up is useful. But, managing a start-up list is difficult—unless you have this program! Want a tip? Bookmark my Downloads page. Just go there, and press Ctrl+D. That will add my downloads section to your browser's favorites! And remember this: If I say a program is free, it's FREE. There are sites on the Internet that try to sell free programs. There are also many ads on the Internet for similar programs, which aren't free. If somebody tries to charge you for a free program, back up. You've clicked on the wrong thing. Saturday's download— Free budgeting software to keep your financial life in order.ONLY A FEW CHANCES TO WIN That means you only have a few chances to win left. So, don't forget to visit my site and enter for the final drawings. And don't worry—the remaining prizes are good ones! Here's what's left: Today, I'm giving away a fabulous NAVIGON 2100 max GPS unit. This $299 GPS device is ultra-thin and stylish with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display and advanced features. Get peace of mind and save gas by making sure you are always heading in the right direction! Tomorrow's prize will keep you organized and in touch all year. The Palm Centro smartphone gives you voice, text, IM, e-mail and the Web. All of this is in a sleek phone that fits into your pocket! The Palm Centro smartphone is valued between $299 and $349 without contract, $99 with contract. Want the best video and audio performance in a standard definition (480p) DVD player? On Monday, you'll have a chance to win Rotel's RDV-1045 DVD Player. Get stunning picture quality with this prize valued at $499.10/24 – Keith Stansell of Homedale, ID (KIDO 580 AM) – Keith will never be without his tunes. He won a Sansa Fuze Music/Video player and Mobile Ultra MicroSD card ($160). This 4-gigabyte portable player handles music, videos and photos. It also features an FM radio and built-in voice recorder. 10/25 – Raymond Luyet of Saylorsburg, PA (WAEB 790 AM) – Raymond will never look at movies the same way again. He's getting Rotel's RDV-1045 DVD player. This $499 player offers the best video and audio performance for standard-definition DVDs. 10/26 – Leslie Arthur of Joppa, MD (WBAL 1090 AM) – I sent Leslie Pure Digital's Flip Ultra Camcorder. This $150 camcorder shoots DVD-quality video and offers advanced editing features. And, it slips right into your pocket! 10/27 – J Clark of Overland Park, KS (KMBZ 980 AM) – I hope the mysterious J Clark is a music fan! J will be getting a Sansa Fuze Music/Video player and Mobile Ultra MicroSD card ($160). It can play music, videos and photos. The 4-gigabyte portable player also features an FM radio and built-in voice recorder. 10/28 – Keith Wormsbecher of Deltona, FL (WDBO 580 AM) – Computer worries will be a thing of the past for Keith. He's getting a full year's subscription to Carbonite's online backup service. And that's not all! He's also getting a year's subscription to Kim's Club and my Tips Book Package. In all, this package is valued at $150. 10/29 - Wayne Anderson of Rochester, NY (WHAM 1180 AM) – Wayne has a new way to keep organized and to stay in touch. The Palm Centro smartphone ($150) gives him voice, text, IM, e-mail and the Web. All of this is in a sleek phone that fits into his pocket! 10/30 – Byron Church of Blue Grass, IA (WMT 600 AM) – Byron is now wireless! He won the Linksys Dual-N Band Wireless Router ($279 value). This convenient, portable wireless network gear is perfect for travel and home use.Congratulations! To see the entire list of winners so far and check out the winners as they are selected, visit the Giveaway of the Day Winners Page. Since many of you have asked, I usually pick the winners no later than noon, my time. So check the day after you enter. You may see your name on the Winner's List before we call you! But do us a favor--if you know you won before we call, try to act surprised! We love hearing people scream with delight! FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY You don't need to worry about that with my Video of the Day. I sift through the boring and offensive videos so you don't have to. Each day I choose one video that is sure to delight you. It may be funny, or it could be inspiring. But my picks are never dull!Don't miss these popular videos from the past week: • Johnny Cash was one of the most influential musicians ever. His final hit recording explores his life. It's powerful. Here are some of my favorites from my Video of the Day archive: • Ventriloquists rarely bring crowds to their feet. But this one did. You'll understand when you hear Emma do Etta James!
SHARE MY VIDEOS: Share my videos with your friends or family! Simply click the ShareThis button below the video you like. Click the Send/Email tab to e-mail the video with a personal message. Or click on the Social Web tab. From there you can share the video online. It works with services like Facebook, MySpace, StumbleUpon and more. NOTE: Are you having trouble seeing my daily video picks? Do you get a message that the video is not available? Sorry to say, it's probably not the video. It's your computer, my friend. Get help on my troubleshooting page. These problems are pretty easy to fix. PRIVACY AND SECURITY TIP: Quick ways to turn off your PC STILL TO COME: Useful tips, important news and a few laughs!
• Shop Black Friday for digital gear deals • Important security tips; and some awesome freebies! Back to the top   FINDING FREE SOFTWARE FOR STUDENTS There are plenty of free programs to teach them, Carol. My Downloads section is a good place to start. You'll find high-quality programs in a variety of categories. All have been tested for malware. Not all of the programs in my Downloads section are appropriate, of course. But you'll find many that are. I would focus on programs that students might use once they're employed. For example, you could cover photo-editing programs like GIMP and Paint.NET. Or, how about a page-layout program like Scribus? I would also think beyond the desktop. Many jobs will require the ability to post content to the Web. So, I would teach them the basics of HTML. It's a lot easier than you'd think! And there are programs like Nvu that will help. Then, look at blogging software like WordPress. And don't forget the extensions! You should also think about teaching them programming. After all, we need to encourage more children to go into computer science and IT. MIT's Scratch program is a great intro to programming. It is aimed at children 8 and up. It's a great place to start! Learn all about this great program in my fun and easy tip. GIVE YOUR HAND A BREAK! PRINT MAILING LABELS IN WORD I don't blame you, Gwen. You have a computer and a printer. So, why not put them to good use? Fortunately, printing labels is relatively easy. There are tools in Microsoft Word that will do most of the work for you. First, you'll need to buy your labels. You'll find many different kinds at your local office supply store. But, the most common will be Avery's 5810 labels. I recommend that you use these. In Word, open the Mailings ribbon and click Labels. Click Label on the Labels tab. Select the label vendor and the product number. You'll see a brief description. Verify that you've chosen the right number. Click OK. If you're printing one label, you can enter the recipient's information in the Address box. Then, opt to print a single copy of the label. You also need to specify the position of the label on the sheet. That's not the best solution, though. Instead, click New Document. This is a nifty little way of creating a template for your labels. A new document opens. You'll see blue lines outlining the edges of each label. Click inside a box and type an address. Repeat for each recipient. Or, you can cut and paste from your address book. What a time-saver! Need more help with Word? Check out these great time-saving tips:
• Creating envelopes in Word • Get rid of Word's little aggravations • Create custom templates in Word • Five time-saving secrets for Word 2007 ROTATE YOUR VIDEOS FOR EASY VIEWING I'll bet your neck hurts from trying to watch those videos, Charlene! If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only person who's encountered this problem. Too bad your camera doesn't detect how you hold it and make the necessary adjustments. Fortunately, there is a fairly simple solution. You just need to rotate your video in Windows Movie Maker. Open the program and drag the video clips from your hard drive to the clips area. Then, drag the clip to the storyboard at the bottom of the window. Now, click Effects. You'll want to find Rotate 90 or Rotate 270. The one you need depends on which direction you turned the camera. Drag the effect onto your clip on the storyboard. Now you're ready to publish your movie. Click File>>Publish Movie. Follow the prompts to save your movie. You're good to go! At this time of year, many of us dust off our camcorders and start shooting. We take videos of the kids in their Halloween costumes. We also take videos at family gatherings and holiday parties. Why not share these videos? You can put them online for friends, or make them into a gift for family members. I have plenty of fun tips on my site that will help you with this: • Get your videos ready for YouTube FINDING LEGITIMATE WORK- AT- HOME OPPORTUNITIES There are a number of ways to make money from home. You probably won't get rich. Still, extra cash can go a long way. Whether it's freelancing, customer service, tutoring or selling your own crafts, I did the research for you. I have it all listed and free for the taking at my Money Center. There's something for everyone! KEEP YOUR PC RUNNING LIKE NEW TELL THE WORLD TO GO KOMANDO
• Keep reading! I have more money-saving tips! Back to the top
 SHOP BLACK FRIDAY FOR DIGITAL GEAR DEALS If you're in the market for any digital gear such as computers, televisions, cameras and other gadgets, you're in luck. Deals abound. Thanks to the Internet, you can get a sneak peak at what's going to be on sale and where come Black Friday. Want to know what you'll find this year? My column will enlighten you on some of the hottest deals. Don't miss it on my site! It's free. A LITTLE ABOUT ME: HOW TO CALL ME DURING THE SHOW WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
• Some Blu-ray players offer high-quality audio Back to the top 
Well, Jack, let's take your questions in reverse order. Online fax services let you send and receive faxes anywhere you go. So, they're ideal for traveling professionals. But they should suit anybody who needs to send or receive faxes. Several companies offer online fax services. There's Send2Fax and RapidFAX. There's also MyFax, which is one of my advertisers. Since I use its service, I'll tell you about MyFax. You don't need to install any hardware or software. All you need is a MyFax account, Internet service and e-mail. To send a fax via MyFax, all you do is open a new e-mail message. Enter the phone number followed by "@myfax" (minus quotes) in the To field. Then, attach the documents you want to send. MyFax works with almost 200 file types. Isn't that easy? Well, receiving faxes is a snap, too. MyFax will assign you a fax number when you register. When someone faxes you, it is forwarded to your e-mail account. You can also send and receive faxes from MyFaxCentral. Now, there is one problem with online faxing services. It is easy to send and receive documents and files that are on your computer. With things like signed contracts, it's a little more difficult. You'll have to get them onto your computer first. So, you'll need a scanner. Or, your current fax machine may double as one. MyFax's plans start at $10 a month. You can send 100 pages and receive 200 pages. If you need more, you'll can upgrade to a more expensive plan. Online fax services should save you money, though. You don't need to worry about long distance charges. Also, you'll save a bundle on fax supplies like ink and paper! You can try MyFax free for 30 days! Visit its site to get started. www.myfax.com/kim We're all trying to save some money these ways. Fortunately, I have you covered. Check out these helpful money-saving tips:
• Save money by renegotiating your cellular plan • Specialty sites help you save money • Reduce your printing costs NEW AND IMPROVED BUYING GUIDE A MESSSAGE FROM THE KOMANDO.COM POSTMASTER SEE SOMETHING UNDERLINED? CLICK & LEARN
STILL TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION:
• Do you need a new receiver for new audio formats? Back to the top
NEW AFFILIATES STATIONS IN ALL TIME ZONES OSHKOSH, WI
MAP-KWEST LISTEN ANY TIME! STILL TO COME IN THIS WEEKEND'S EDITION:
• Blu-ray players, receivers and high-quality audio
KIM'S TIPS FOR KOMANDO KIDS: Block porn on MP3 players CONTEST SITE: Rock at Home FREEBIE OF THE WEEK: Free green tote bag FREEBIE FROM KOMANDO.COM: Free tools for eBay users GET A COOL SITE EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK In case you missed any this past week, here's a list of some of our favorites: Managing your money is paramount these days. Have you set a budget for your household? It's not easy to do. And sticking to it is even harder. But I've found some great programs that can help. And they won't cost you a dime! Let's keep it going; there's plenty more to cover:
MICROSOFT AND YAHOO! BATTLE LOTTERY SCAMS Those affected by the scam should file a report with local police. They should then e-mail a copy of the report to the companies. The companies will look at patterns and gather evidence. They will then send the information to police. I've warned readers about the lottery scam in the past. Learn everything you need to know about it in my handy tip. I applaud Microsoft and Yahoo! for helping authorities. But, the crooks will likely start using other companies' names. Don't let them trick you!GET YOUR FREE SECURITY SOFTWARE HERE SHARE IT: Spread the word. Share the link to my security center with your family, friends, baseball team—everyone! They will thank you for it! Back to the top
 Others excel at picking up nuances in music and other audio. For them, the difference will be substantial. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are both lossless audio formats. They're essentially identical to the studio masters. So, they should give you unmatched audio quality. I'm going to venture a guess here. I'll bet that you will notice the difference. Why? For starters, you're asking about new audio formats. If you had tin ears, you wouldn't care much about audio formats. Also, you currently own a Denon receiver. Denon is known for its high-end audio gear. Its receivers are popular with audiophiles. Now, receivers are an anomaly when it comes to electronics. New developments in receivers don't happen as fast as with other electronics. So, they last longer than other gear. So, I can understand why you wouldn't be keen on buying a new receiver. That's particularly true if you're already shelling out for a new Blu-ray player. Fortunately, you don't need to upgrade your receiver. It will work fine, even with the new audio formats. There are two ways to get these audio formats. You can buy a Blu-ray player that is capable of decoding them. Or, you could buy both a receiver and a player that are capable of decoding them. In the first scenario, the player decodes the audio data. It is then passed via analog connections to your receiver and then to the speakers. Your receiver doesn't have to do any decoding. So, you're good to go. Unfortunately, though, you'll have a mess of wires. That's because of the analog connections. You'll need to run one cord for each speaker from the player to your receiver. In the second scenario, the player passes the audio to the receiver for decoding. A digital connection is required to handle the data. The receiver decodes the audio and then passes it to the speakers via an analog connection. In this situation, you run an HDMI cable from the player to your receiver. It's nice and neat! Audiophiles will debate the merits of each method. In fact, I'm sure it has been the subject of many online forum postings. I won't get into the debate. Rather, you should make the decision yourself. Buy the Blu-ray player and add it to your current setup. If you're unhappy with the sound, then consider upgrading your receiver. Are you getting the most from your home entertainment center? My great tips will help you make sure:
• Calibrate your HDTV for a better picture • Choosing a converter box for the digital transition • HDMI vs. component video IF I HELPED YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? 1. Tell your co-workers, employees, team members, fantasy sports buddies, family members and friends to check us out. I have a form that makes it easy. 2. Link your blog, online profile or site to my site. Instructions and cool artwork await you. Have a great weekend. Thank you for your support of my show and newsletters! I appreciate it! Kim :)
 THE PUNISHMENT FITS THE CRIME Give me a call! I'd love to hear from you. It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to our call screener Andrew and tell him what's on your mind. That's all there is to it! Kim :) GET MORE TIPS FROM ME TO YOU
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I'm considering buying Panasonic's DMP BD55K Blu-ray player. I like it because it decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. I have an older Denon receiver that doesn't handle these formats. So, I can enjoy the new formats without buying a new receiver. But, are these formats better than Dolby Digital and DTS? Also, is this solution as good as buying a new receiver?
Are these formats better? That's a subjective question. Some people aren't particularly sensitive to audio quality. For them, these new audio formats probably don't matter. 
Copyright © 2008, The Kim Komando Show. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of The Kim Komando Show is prohibited and strictly enforced. Newsletters may contain links to sites on the Internet owned and operated by third parties. The Kim Komando Show is not responsible for the availability of, or the content located on or through, any such third-party site. Information in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document. We will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this information, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages. You may also unsubscribe by sending a request via postal mail. Please include your name, e-mail address and a printed copy of your Newsletter e-mail. Send to: |
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