by Catalogs.com Info Guru Paul Seaburn

Let’s face it – sitting in front of a computer all day can be slow and bo-o-oring.

There must be some ways to speed things up or at least make using your PC more fun. Some of these PC tips will save you keystrokes or speed up Internet searches. Some of the tricks will help pass the time or have a little fun with your friend (or foe) in the next cubicle. All of these PC tips and tricks will help the day go a little faster.

10. Use Other Browsers

Internet Explorer forcefully pushes itself on you, but there are other browsers around that are faster, easier to use and less prone to virus attacks. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera are the best. Check their ‘help’ sections for info on how to make the one you like your primary browser and how to download the latest plugins.

9. Stop Autoplay

If you’re worried about viruses getting downloaded to your PC from a USB flash drive or external hard drive, disable ‘Autoplay’ by holding down the ‘shift’ key when you install the drive. Then run virus check software on the device.

8. Let Google Do The Work

Looking for the status of an airline flight? In the Google search box, enter the airline and flight number (Delta 877). Get a weather report for any block in the U.S. by entering ‘weather’ and the zip code (weather 44134). This also works to find movie theaters (movies 44134). If you know the tracking number on a shipped package, enter it and Google will take you to FEDEX, UPS Or the post office to find its status.

7. Runaway Cursor

This one’s just for fun. Annoy a fellow employee for a while by plugging a second mouse – preferably wireless – into a USB port while they’re away. Get rid of all the ‘device found’ messages. When they come back, move the mouse around until they start cursing the cursor!

6. Work Without A Mouse

Be ready for a dead computer mouse by activating the numeric pad on your keyboard as an alternate way to move the cursor around. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Accessibility Options, Mouse. Check the “Use Mouse Keys” check box. Click Apply and exit. To activate, hold down ALT + left SHIFT + NUM LOCK key. You can then move the cursor using the numeric pad.

5. Is It Me Or The Web Page

You’re having trouble accessing a web page and you wonder if it’s the site, the Internet or your browser. Eliminate one of those easily by going to www.isitup.org and entering the web site’s URL for the answer.

4. Audio and Visual Assistance

If you or someone you know is visually impaired, you can get some quick help from your PC. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Accessibility. “Magnifier” is an easy-to-use tool for moving the mouse around to magnify portions of the monitor. “Narrator” is a simple tool that will read out loud the names of buttons, links and some parts of a window. It’s not as sophisticated as some text-to-speech add-on software but it’s a good in a pinch.

3. Play It Again, Sam

YouTube doesn’t allow you to repeat a video, but there’s an easy way to do it. Once the video is finished playing, go to the address bare and erase everything before the word youtube. Directly after youtube, type the word ‘repeat; and press enter. This will forward you to a site which will repeat the video until you close the window.

2. What Time Is It In …?

Need to know what time it is in London or Luxembourg? In Windows 7, click Change date and time settings, then in the Date and Time window click the Additional Clocks tab. Check the first Show this clock box, then select the time zone for the second clock, and the name of the clock. Repeat for additional clocks, then click OK. Click on the time and you’ll see all the new time zones.

1. Web Site Translator

To translate a web site to English, go to https://translate.google.com/. In the box, type the address of the website you want translated and the language it’s currently in in the dropdown menu. Select a language to translate to in the right box and press enter. For more languages, press the arrow on the dropdown box.