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www.coloradoan.com, The Coloradoan, Tuesday, October 16, 2001, TECHNOLOGY, E5 HelpiAdvice Computing nrith kids OH Hirew i map Jinny Gudmundsen GANNETT NEWS SERVICE New, 24X drives cost $250 or more seven new speedy CD-RW drives, from $179 to $330 Sony CD-RW internal drive with Memory Stick media slot CRX175MA1 (www.sony.com) Estimated Price: $229 (Available in November) Burn rates: 24X CD audio recording, 10X CD rewrite and 40X read Compatibility: Windows PC 1 Spy themes draw Idds into learning Throw out the trench coat and magnifying glass the newest spy-themed software for kids has gone high-tech. Nowadays, kids on "the case" use cool things like a Digital Clue Storage Device or a Cloaking Belt (yep, go 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge' Carmen Sandiego has been eluding software players for more than 17 years. This new title, which replaces "Where in the Yamaha FireWire external drive (www.yamaha.com) Estimated Price: $329.99 (less with Burn rates: 20X CD audio recording, 40X max read Compatibility: Windows PC and Mac Sony CD-RW internal drive CRX175AA1 (www.sony.com) Estimated Price: $179 Burn rates: 24X CD audio recording, 10X CD rewrite and 40X max read Compatibility: Windows PC PlexWriter 241040A internal drive (www.plextor.com) Estimated Price: $269 Burn rates: 24X CD audio recording, 10X CD rewrite and 40X max read Compatibility: Windows PC Yamaha CRW2200UXZ USB 2.0 (www.yamaha.com) Estimated Price: $299.99 (less with World is Carmen Sandiego?" offers fresh content, delivery and BY GREG WRIGHT GANNETT NEWS SERVICE "Jurn baby burn. A new generation of r24X recordable and Jrewritable CD drives that burn 74-minute audio discs in less than four minutes compared with nine minutes for standard 8X drives is hitting stores. The new drives are quicker because they spin blank discs faster as lasers encode or burn them with data.

CD burners are wildly popular among computer users who use them to burn custom music CDs. Americans bought $330 million worth of CD burners during the first seven months of 2001, up 1 18 percent over 2000, said Mark Margevicius, an analyst with the Gartner research company in Stamford, Conn. Manufacturers have raced to develop faster drives the past few years, said Mark Becknauld, a spokesman for Yamaha Electronics Corp. in Buena Park, Calif. Before hopping on the fast lane and buying a new drive, consider these points: If your computer already has a built-in CD burner, you might have to open the case and remove the drive to install a faster new one.

After the computer is open, hardware installation should take about five minutes, but it's a job that might frustrate less experienced computer users. Convenient plug-and-play 24X burners also are available. But these connect to computers using very fast Universal Serial Bus 2.0 or FireWire ports, which often aren't standard equipment on even the newest computers. So you may have to shell out $100 for a USB 2.0 card or about $50 for a FireWire card for your computer. If you connect a fast burner through a standard USB 1.1 connection, common on newer com puters, you will get much slower burning rati around 4X.

To gi st optimum burning speeds, you i must use blank discs compatible with 20X or 24X drives. These Uses, which have fewer structural jfects than those slow-burning dri ves, cost the same as standard 8 or 16X discs. In late September 1 50-pack of blank Fuji 24X discs cost $24.99 at the same price as a 50-pack of Imation 16X discs. Fastei drives cost more. The average CE burner price dropped to $164 th is year from $240 in 2000, Marj said, but many fast drives 11 for more than $250.

Consumer; i may not be willing to pay more their current drives work fine, he said. So, is it worth waiting for new models tha may be even quicker? Probably not, because manufacturers are reaching speed limits, said Bob DeMoulin of Sony Electronics in Jose, Calif. A IX rive burns a 74-minute audio dis in 74 minutes, DeMoulin ssiid. A 2X unit cuts the time in ha If to 37 minutes. A 4X burner ha Ives that time again to about 20 ninutes.

But as he X-rate increases the time save on burning shrinks, making it unlikely manufacturers will invest in more speed im-provemen ts, he said. "As you go faster you are not going to et these huge jumps (in the burnin rate)," DeMoulin explained. That's 'why researchers have turned their attention to making high capai CD-R and CD-RW discs that can store more information Chan standard 650-megabyte blank discs, Margevicius said. Computer users may not be able to record music and data on these dliscs more quickly but they woul i be able to store a lot more sonj and information on them, he aid. approach.

Kid detectives join the ACME Agency and work Burn rates: 20X CD audio recording, 10X CD re' 40X max read Compatibility: Windows PC and Macintosh A 1 Sony CD-RW USB 2.0 external drive CRX1750U (www.sony.com) Estimated Price: $279 Burn rates: 24X CD audio recording, a Compatibility: Windows PC and Macintosh rtWS QPS Que External CD-RW FireWire QPCDRW241040FEM (www.qps-inc.com) Estimated Price: $279.99 Burn rates: 24X CD audio recording, 1 0X CD rewrite and 40X max read Compatibility: Windows PC and Macintosh Get inside sc oop on colleges nline 1 buttons lite Ettp Vjr Robin Raskin IVV CRW2200FXZ $30 to $50 10X CD rewriti extern $30 rebate1 10X CD rewrite and 40X max re; Silencing modem BY STEVENS. WOO THE DES MOINES REGISTER When I connect to the Internet, my modem screeches, much like when you call a person and get a fax machine instead. What is happening? How do I stop it? The screeching sound continues until a connection has been made. The "screeching" is normal. The noise indicates that the modem is making a connection to your Internet service provider's customize your experience with cookies.

Among them: Kookaburra Software's $15 Cookie Pal (www.kburra.com), The Limit Software's $15 Cookie Crusher (www.thelimitsofl.com) and RBA's free Cookie Cruncher (www.rbaworld.com). Keep in mind that blocking cookies may affect your Web browsing experience, particularly among sites that offer customization features, because those sites won't recognize you as a repeat visitor. Is it KeThatvou lianhurt I your computer by installing more than one peripheral atihe sann timer Mvmm. Almougb. it's oft recoup mended that you don't install more than one peripheral in one sittingfMjeason has nothing to do witti'any increased risk of hurting your computer.

Odds are, you won't hurt your PC in that manner. However, if one of the peripherals causes a conflict or problem with your computer, it will be more difficult to isolate that problem if you've installed multiple devices. If you're planning to add a number of devices to your computer, the best way to go about it is to add one at a time. That way, you can makeura. each device works afisfW)glO before addingjtbe rxfarie, and if a problem dojs arisefoft' rAe 1 better able to figure out which peripheral caused the pfOfflem and, after troubleshooting, fix the situation.

rebates nd I 1 write anrl l. with agents Shadow Hawkins and Jules Argent to track thief Carmen Sandiego. Hot on Carmen's trail, players travel to four to six countries in each of eight missions. Rich graphics depict the native landscape. By listening carefully, using a database of information about more than 50 countries and employing high-tech gadgets, kids will solve puzzles and find clues to complete the missions.

They also meet native peoples, view cultural artifacts and hear educational facts about each country. A new feature lets players uncover the story of Carmen's life and see it is connected with the heists. This latest "Carmen" game is five-star fun. The mysteries motivate children to explore the jam-packed learning environment. The going can get tough, so gumshoes need to be resourceful and meticulous in searching for clues.

00000 (out of five stars) Best for ages 8-12 From The Learning www. learningco.com, (800) 543-9778 for $25. WindowsMacintosh. 'Spy Masters: UnMaskthe Prankster' This new mystery series features the Spy Masters five young detectives who are found in other JumpStart educational titles. From their secret hideout at Spy Command Headquarters, the Spy Masters discover chaos is erupting in Arcadea.

A mysterious villain named "The Prankster" is playing mean tricks on Arcadea including releasing a horde of attack robots and setting all the clocks to 12:00. To right the Prankster's wrongs, players control a self-made avatar on eight missions in Arcadea. Each location houses an arcade-style learning game that covers language arts, math, geography or science. The games have three levels of difficulty that correspond to the curricula of third through fifth grades. By playing six games, players accomplish the goals needed to complete their missions.

For example, kids will "download" software by zipping past pieces of data and grabbing those that are requested, such as "countries in Europe." When players win games, they are rewarded with cool spy gadgets for their avatar to use. While "Spy Masters: UnMask the Prankster" has a fun theme and six good learning games, this software has some rough edges. The story line and the mission idea are cool, but they are explained too hastily. Kids complained about the clumsy controls. Also, this title constantly requires children to blow up renegade robots.

For some, this violence wasn't fun. A glaring error is the ethnicity of the Spy Masters all five kids are white. In this world of cultural diversity, Knowledge Adventure needs to be more sensitive. 0000 Best for ages 7-11 From Knowledge Adventure, www.knowledgeadventure.com, (800) 542-4240 for $30. WindowsMacintosh.

Gudmundsen is the editor of Choosing Children 's Software magazine. Please e-mail questions or suggestions to her at JinnyComputingWithKids.com. 3 noises a snap computer network. Some computers are automatically set to have that sound come on loudly or softly when you connect. Here's how to turn the volume down or turn it off.

Go to the Windows Control Panel, click on Modems, then Properties and there will be a slider to adjust the volume. The lowest setting turns the modem's speaker off. E-mail questions to Woo at woosnews.dmregister.com. Is there a way that I can save my Internet Explorer Favorites to a disk and then reinstall them on another computer with IE? Yes, you can save your Favorites, a list of bookmarked Web sites, by using Internet Explorer's ImportExport feature. If you go to the File menu and click on Import and Export, the Import Export wizard will walk you through the process of saving your Favorites to a file on your aoggy save thbn't a floppy dil you can thin jjjsc tlie same Jraport'Ex-portyftpiar)rii dbmputer with BFi iustallealto imWt those samccgyornqpa me newwn-puter.

What does "online presence" refer to? "Presence" is used to describe the ability to detect whether a person is online and whether or not that person is available for electronic communication. The term is frequently tossed around in conversations about instant messaging. Not only do instant messaging programs allow Web users to have one-to-one conversations, but they also allow Web users to detect vhethcr other Web users are someone is sM be reached at fhatmoTTffrrt'a the Net. Holmes is assistant technology mvrtrwrditor at VS ATODAY.com. She answers questions daily at www.usatoday.comAech.htm.

hands-on feel for many of the schools. ood financial information here a well. Collegehoard.com These folks are t'he creators of the SAT and PSAT. Naturally, one of their strengths i the amount of information abo ut planning for and taking the req uisite tests. They offer a nice orga nizer for tracking your college ap plication process and more narra tive than the other sites on how to think about where you want to ap iply.

The selector and search tool are a bit clumsy. Kaplan. com Kaplan offers test-prepar ation services including one-on-on admissions help (this can run more than Searching for the right college is a small pa rt of the site but it has some inte resting categories like "buried tn or "travel agencies" (for hose who want to study abroad). Review, com The Princeton Review ofl ers a variety of test-prep facilities both real world and online). Kno wn for bringing a bit of attitude to the selection process, the site hais tools like Counselor-Matic, wh ere you tell it about your grades am activities and it'll suggest schoc )ls.

The site has a decent search tool and practical tips to gain admi ssion. Peterscii is.com Peterson's has tons of perience in creating college guidebooks, and the Web site is huge. 1 1 selects colleges based on a set questions that is more personal i ty driven than some of the other sites' questionnaires. You'll herve to register to take advantage of this site's capabilities. USNews.com If you're into ranking a nd data, this is the place to go.

Eac year, U.S. News ranks the nation 's colleges. While the list has come under attack for its methodol ogy, it's one of the best-documem ted rankings. In addition to lots of lata, it has the easiest-to-use compi irison worksheet that lets you view your choices side by side. If ju're looking for financial aid, tl his is an important site.

There are countless listings and you can fi ind scholarships offered for every one from children of Ukrainiar i immigrants to children of Teamst ers. Happy hunting. Tamara E. Holmes USAT0DAY.COM I've noticed that some computer mice have more than two buttons. What do the extra buttons do? The buttons on your basic two-button computer mouse will let you perform such tasks as clicking and double-clicking on areas of text and calling up context-sensitive menus.

But mice that have additional buttons give users access to even more functions. For example, a third button might be used to scroll through multiple windows on screen or it might be programmed to automatically launch the Start menu. While some two-button mice can be programmed to perform additional tasks as well, three- and four-button mice tend to give users more flexibility when it comes to customizing the input device to better fit their work habits. Are there programs I can use that will keep cookies trom being downloaded on my computer? If you use Internet Explorer or Netscape, you can set either of those browsers to block cookies, bits of data stored on your hard drive that can be used to track your Web browsing habits. In Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu, click on Internet Options and then click on the Security tab.

At that point, you can click on the Custom Level tab to bring up an entire menu of options, which includes the ability to disable cookies. In Netscape, you would click on Preferences in the Edit menu, and then click on Advanced. At that point, you can decide whether you want to accept or reject cookies. While your browser will give you basic cookie-management functionality, you may decide you want more advanced features, such as the ability to accept cookies from certain sites or in specific circumstances. A number of programs help you Of all the things the Web can provide help with, searching for colleges ranks high on the list.

Sites that list colleges and their features can save parents and prospective students hours of work, guide them through decision-making, offer them virtual tours, provide electronic applications and help figure out how to pay the bill. The sites typically focus on four areas: Planning: Involving timetables for taking tests and meeting deadlines. Searching: Guiding students through questionnaires aimed at fine-tuning their choices. Applying: Getting applications and supporting materials. Financing: Looking for scholarship and financial aid opportunities.

I've listed the best of the college search sites. Be prepared to spend hours on them. Register with them and they'll provide you with folders and private areas for your work. Which site is best? That's a good question. I gave similar search criteria to each of the sites and they generated rather different results.

I encourage you to try at least two or three of them before you settle on one you like. Also remember to visit the colleges' own Web pages, where you can get a feel for student life and campus ambience. And encourage your kids to e-mail questions to students at the schools as well. They'll get some surprisingly candid and informative answers. Finally, remember that while the Web sites can help cut the decision down to size, there's no substitute for human contact and a visit to the colleges that you are serious about.

Embark.com Probably the best organized and most aesthetically pleasing. The matchmaking facilities help narrow your choices by asking questions, including any special needs you have, be they religious, athletic or otherwise. Online applications are available. Student diaries give you a 1.