You can share Kindle e-books

Q: I just got a Kindle e-reader. I want to let a friend read oneof my e-books. Is it possible to loan e-books on the Kindle?

A: Yes, Amazon recently added this feature. Go to your library onAmazon's site. Find a book to loan and click the Loan This Bookbutton. Not all books will have this, as it is up to the publisher.An invitation will be sent to your recipient. The recipient hasseven days to accept the invitation. Once the invitation isaccepted, the recipient has 14 days to read the e-book. You won'thave access to the e-book while it's on loan. This feature worksonly in the United States.

Q: I have a collection of old family photos. I'd like to digitizethem so I can share them with family. How hard is it to digitizephotos?

A: Digitizing photos is not terribly difficult. You just need ascanner and a computer. Almost any modern scanner will work. You'llget better results if you scan negatives or slides rather thanprinted photos. But this requires an attachment or specializedscanner. Fortunately, these are not too expensive. Doing it yourselfis fine if you don't have a lot of photos. A lot of photos will takea while to scan. You might be better off with a scanning service.Turnaround time will be fairly quick. It will cost money, but it ismore convenient. Ask a local photo store for recommendations onscanning services.

Q: I like the Spotlight feature in Mac OS X, but I want to limitmy searches. Can you search just a single folder on a Mac?

A: Spotlight is a handy way to search for files on a Mac, but bydefault, Spotlight searches your entire computer. Fortunately, youcan change this setting. On the top left of the screen, clickFinder, then Preferences. Then select the Advanced tab. Find whereit says, "When performing a search." Then use the dropdown menu toselect Search the Current Folder. Now when you search, Finder willlook only through the open folder.

Q: How do you add and remove desktop wallpaper?

A: Desktop wallpaper is great for personalizing your system. Allyou have to do is find an image you like online. Then right-clickthe image and select Set as Desktop Background. Or find an imagethat you like on your computer. Again, right-click it and select Setas Desktop Background. The desktop backgrounds settings will appear.Select Center for positioning and accept. You now have newwallpaper. If you want to replace it, do the same thing with anotherimage. The existing wallpaper will be replaced. You don't have toremove it.

Q: I'm setting up a home media server. Is there software that canstream video to an iPad?

A: Yes, there are several services compatible with Appleproducts. Take a look at Orb or TVersity. Orb is the easier of thetwo to use remotely. You just have to log into an online account.Orb's desktop software is free; you'll pay $10 for the iPad app.TVersity ($40) requires a Web browser and knowing your network's IPaddress. On most home Internet connections, the IP address changesregularly; you have to pay more for a static IP address. However,TVersity has better streaming quality over the Internet. You willhave to decide which one better matches your setup. Find links tothese programs at www.komando.com/news.