Easter may still be months away, but the So, carry this magazine over to your DVD
“Eastereggs” discussedamongmanyfilm collection and have fun hunting for these
fanatics have nothing to do with the ones hidden goodies.
that will be decorated this coming March. Pirates of the Caribbean:
Q: How do you know when you need
a new mouse? Mine is old and
has been acting up, but I don’t want to
buy a new one if I don’t have to.
Peter S.
Vancouver,
British Columbia
A: Today’s mice are optical, which
means that instead of a tracking ball,
a tiny red optical sensor does all the work.
The advantage of optical sensors is that
they’re more precise, can be used on virtually any surface and require no cleaning.
But if you like your old ball-based mouse,
here’s a tip on keeping it from acting up.
First, turn the mouse upside down, and,
with your fingers, gently unscrew the bottom by turning it counter-clockwise. Take
out the ball and rub it with a cloth such as
a hand towel, not a tissue or anything that
can leave residue.
To clean the three little rollers underneath the mouse that hold the ball in place,
dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, then
brush each of the rollers until all of the junk
is removed. Replace the ball, screw the cap
back on and it should be as good as new. If
this doesn’t work, and reinstalling the PC
software doesn’t help, it’s time for the
upgrade.—MS
Many DVD movies contain “Easter Curse of the Black Pearl
eggs,” hidden treats planted on For a humorous clip, pop in the
the disc that serve as a reward second DVD and select “Moonlight
for those clever and deter- Serenade” from the main menu.
mined enough to find them. Once inside, press the Down arrow
Consider them undocu- on the DVD remote twice and one of
mented extras not listed on the the skull’s teeth will turn bright yel-
back of the DVD box, such low. Press Enter (or Select on some
as an alternate ending to the DVD players) and guitarist Keith
movie, hidden bloopers and Richards from the Rolling Stones
gags, deleted scenes, cartoons, will explain why he believes Johnny
video games, interview clips Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow
andso forth. was influenced by his trademark
Easter eggs are accessible swagger and facial twitches!
only by pressing the correct sequence of but- The Lord of the Rings:
tons on the DVD remote. That is, if you know The Two Towers (Extended Edition)
the secret combination. Pop in the first DVD and then choose
Why do film studios spend time, money “Select a Scene.” Now select the last option
and effort to hide these goodies without (Chapters 29– 30); once inside, press the
telling customers they exist? According to Down arrow on the DVD remote twice and
Hollywood movie studios, it’s a little extra a gold ring will appear out of thin air. Now
bang for the buck. Of course, the word-of- press Enter and director Peter Jackson will
mouth buzz might help DVD sales, too. congratulate you for finding his “secret Q&A
goodie,” followed by a hilarious “2003 MTV
Movie Awards” clip starring a foul-mouthed
Gollum (not for kids!).
Vertigo (Collector’s Edition)
On this classic Hitchcock thriller select
“Bonus Materials” from the main menu and
then click the first entry to watch a lengthy
must-see documentary, Obsessed with Vertigo:
New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece. When
Marc it’s over (or fast-forward to the end of this
Saltzman featurette), you’ll be treated to a couple of
trailers for Vertigo (the original and the
restored version) and a special treat for
Hitchcock fans: a two-minute deleted scene
from the film.
Ask Marc Saltzman
Have a question for Marc? Send your
technology and computer questions to:
Q&A with Marc Saltzman
415 West Hunt Club Road
Ottawa, ON K2E 1C5
Or fax to (613) 221-2283 or e-mail to
connection@costco.com. Please include
“Marc Saltzman Q&A” in the subject line.
Marc will answer selected questions in
his column. He regrets that unpublished
questions cannot be answered individually.
Finding Nemo
Insert the second disc and select “Bonus Memento (Limited Edition)
Materials” from the main menu. Once inside, Fans of this film may recall that the story
highlight the Back arrow at the bottom of the is not told in chronological order. Pop in the
screen, but don’t press Enter just yet. Instead, second disc. When the animation stops, select
press the Down arrow on the DVD remote. the clock out of all these images and you’ll
A small green fish will appear. Now press be presented with multiple-choice questions.
Enter on the DVD remote for a humorous Select answer C for all and another test will
“AquaScum 2003” commercial. For another appear on the screen, asking you to place the
cute clip, enter the section entitled “Mr. Ray’s pictures of a woman changing her car’s tire in
Encyclopedia” and, once again, highlight the chronological sequence. The answer is to put
Back arrow at the bottom of the screen. Press them in reverse order ( 3, 4, 1 and then 2). If
Down on the remote and a green fish will you do this correctly, the movie credits will
appear. Press Enter to see Dory in awe of you, roll backwards and the film will then play in
before Marlin tugs her away. chronological order! C
