Anthony D. from
New Orleans asks:
"Is it true some court decision says you have to apply a patch to Microsoft Word or quit using it!? Where do you find the patch, and does it matter which version of Word you have?"ANSWER: In late December, Microsoft was ordered by a federal court in Texas to pay $290 million in damages and to stop selling Word 2007 unless a patent infringement was corrected. Microsoft quickly issued a patch, called the "
2007 Office OPK Master Kit Download," but sources say the ruling does not affect
existing copies of Word 2007, only new copies or new OEM installations of Word or Office 2007.
George B. from Harvey writes: "I have an old orbital buffer with an on-off toggle switch. Whenever it comes unplugged, I forget to flip the switch before I plug it back in, which has resulted in several close calls. Is there a way to prevent this, other than getting rid of the buffer or re-wiring it?"
ANSWER: Although it's mainly designed to prevent accidents caused by power interruptions, the SafetyGate by SafeStart Systems LLC would probably work. The device senses when an appliance or tool is powered on during a power lapse and "gates" the circuit. To restore the flow of electricity to the device, simply turn its power switch off and then back on. Prices start at $19 for appliances and $24 for power tools. For more information, visit SafetyGateStore.com.
