Washington - There's probably more information in your digital photographs than you realise. Within every digital photo is what is known as EXIF information. EXIF is short for Exchangeable Image File Format data, and it includes such information as the date on which the photograph was taken, the camera used, the camera settings used, and much more. EXIF data can be read by most image browsing programs, including the free Picasa.

Washington  - Among Windows Vista's lesser used features is Flip 3-D, which provides a three-dimensional view of all of your open applications. It's one of the most surefire ways of selecting the right application from among many that are running. To access Flip 3-D, hold down the Windows key on your keyboard, and tap the Tab key. Keep holding down the Windows key and tapping the Tab key to cycle through the programs that are running.

Washington  - In Windows, inserting a CD usually results in some action being taken or requested. Either Windows will attempt to automatically play an audio CD, or it will ask you what you want to do with a blank CD. Insert a CD with data, and you'll be prompted about what you'd like to do. If you'd rather not be bothered, you can bypass the automatic prompting. To do so, push down the Shift key as you insert the CD. This tells Windows not to prompt you

Washington  - Want to conserve notebook battery power while on the road? Turn off every feature that you're not using. That includes unused Bluetooth, WiFi, or USB ports. It also means adjusting power settings so that they are aggressive in shutting down your LCD and hard drive during periods of inactivity. Also be sure to unplug any external USB device, since many of these draw power from a notebook's battery.

Washington - Anyone who has made the switch to Office 2007 knows that the new file format used by Office 2007 applications is incompatible with previous versions of Office. If you frequently exchange files with users of an older Office version, consider changing the way Office saves files. Click the Office button, and then under Save Documents, choose the old Office file format from the pulldown menu labelled "Save files in this format." (dpa)