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Tech Tip

Cutting off ‘Friends’

To remove a friend from your Facebook account, click Account, then Privacy Settings in the upper right-hand corner. Now go to Block List, where you'll enter the person's name. Click the Block button, and that person will be cut off from further contact.

Save Paper

To help save a few trees, put your printer on a default setting for printing on both sides. You can also reduce the margin width to fit more content on each page: In Word, choose File, then Page Setup, Margins and the Default box. And instead of printing everything out, store important data on thumb drives or back it up on an external hard drive.

Bookmark Smarts

Sort and delete your web site bookmarks every month so your favorites list doesn't become disorganized and unhelpful.

Clean Your Keyboard

If your computer keys are sticking, it may be time to clean your keyboard. Use a can of compressed air with an extension nozzle. Angle the can and spray between the keys. Tap the keyboard to try to remove the gunk, then repeat. You can also clean the assorted crumbs and dirt with a damp cloth.

Delete Data Hogs

Large files can eat up space on your hard drive. To find them, go into your Windows Office Documents Library and click the Size column at the top of the screen to sort your files from largest to smallest. Check out which large files are hogging up your hard drive and choose which to delete first.

Speed up Your PC

Help an older PC run faster by moving your seldom-used files or applications to backup -- either onto a disk or an external hard drive. This will free up space and speed up your computer.

Turn Security Software On

Never assume that your security software is running automatically. Before going online, look for the icons or messages that indicate your security software is working. A missing icon -- or one with an abnormal form or color -- may be a sign that your security is off or your subscription has expired.

Make Backup a Habit

When working on a long-term project, get into a routine of backing up your files to a USB stick or external drive after each update, whether it's daily or even hourly. To use, plug the device into your computer, double-click to open the directory and drag copies of your files into the directory. By making backup a habit, you're less likely to forget -- and less likely to lose critical work.

Careful Clicking

Whenever you get an email with an attachment, think twice before you click. Avoid looking at, opening or clicking on any attachments if you don't know the sender, what's in it or why it was sent to you. If you have questions about an attachment sent to you by a friend, call or email the friend (with a new message) to verify what the attachment is and whether it's safe to open.

IPod Touch Controls

Parents who want to give their kids a new Internet-enabled hand-held device -- such as an iPod Touch -- can program it to limit access to explicit songs, movies and other objectionable content. Use the parental controls to disable some features: Tap Settings > General > Restrictions, then set a PIN number and lock certain features.

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