TECHNOLOGY FEATURE IT and Internet briefs August 04, 2004 Free video arcade games Washington — Fans of 1980s video arcade games have lots to cheer about now. Instead of dropping of money into arcade machines, they can log on to the free Classic 80s Arcade Games Web site and play everything from Pac Man to Qbert. Each game featured on the site offers all the advantages of the traditional games, and more. The Pac Man game, for example, includes hundreds of levels. Video cards Washington — Yearning for a fast video card in your notebook computer? Keep in mind that fast video cards designed for gaming enthusiasts emit a lot of heat, more than the typical video card supplied with most notebook computers. This can cause stability problems with some machines. So if you're purchasing a notebook primarily for business-related tasks and Web surfing, it's a good idea to forego the high-end video option. Monitor flicker is harmful Washington — Monitor flicker is harmful to your eyes and can cause headaches. You can't detect it, though, by staring straight at your monitor. Stare away from the monitor while keeping the picture visible from the corner of your eye. If you detect flicker, your monitor's refresh rate is set too low. Set your refresh rate at least to 72 Hz. If you don't know how to set it, call on the assistance of someone who does. Digital camera belt packs Washington — A digital camera is worthless if you don't carry it with you. That's why you should spend some time researching the type of carrying case you'll need for your camera. Camera belt packs are made to hold most types of digital cameras, and they take weight off of your neck and shoulders, which is where traditional carrying methods put the load. Whatever type of case you purchase, make sure it has pockets to store not only your camera but also an extra battery, film cards, and any other accessories that you regularly use to support your picture taking ventures. Skins Washington — Skins can add a little spice to your Windows Media Player experience. Skins provide a facelift to Windows Media Player and some other multimedia applications. You can download skins from the Internet. In Windows Media Player 9, open the Tools menu, and select Download...Skins. Your default Web browser will start and take you to a page where you can preview and download new looks for your Media Player. New skins are free. Hit the Enter key Washington — When you're presented with a message box that gives you options such as OK and Cancel, do you reach for the mouse? Don't. You'll work faster if you understand that simply hitting the Enter key will automatically select OK in most dialogue and message boxes. In fact, whichever command button is bordered in black will be the one that is activated when you press Enter. You can almost always use the Tab key to move from one button to the next, as well. Pressing Esc will typically dismiss the message box altogether. – Sapa-DPA Related stories Goodies from Google: Free software [30/07/2004]