Q & A: Subscriptions For A Browser

Q. How do I use R.S.S. feeds with Internet Explorer 7?

A. R.S.S., which stands for Really Simple Syndication (or Rich Site Summary, as some prefer), is a format used by Web sites to distribute updates, news, headlines and other information to those who subscribe to the sites feed. Web pages with feeds available often display an orange R.S.S. or XML icon. (XML stands for Extensible Markup Language, a standard for creating and coding some forms of Web content.)

Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and the latest version of Apples Safari all provide the ability to subscribe to R.S.S. feeds and read updates right in a browser. There are also stand-alone programs available to collect all the fresh content from your favorite Web sites, but many people prefer just using a browser.

Internet Explorer and Firefox use a similar orange-and-white icon (an example is at www.feedicons.com) to indicate that a page has an R.S.S. feed available. Safari displays a blue R.S.S. button in the address bar. Clicking the button usually leads you to the subscription options.

In Internet Explorer 7, if a Web site you like has a feed available, the red or orange R.S.S. Feeds button in the toolbar is undimmed and clickable. Once you click the button, you see a list of feeds available; click the Subscribe to this feed option on screen to sign up.

When you want to read the articles Internet Explorer 7 has collected for you, open the Favorites Center by clicking the star-shaped icon on the left side of the toolbar. Click the Feeds button to see the latest news. A Microsoft tutorial on using feeds with IE7 is at tinyurl.com/vkuy6.

A Phone for World Travel

Q. What is a quad-band phone?

A. In regards to mobile phones, quad band usually refers to the four different radio frequency bands used by certain wireless phones on the G.S.M. standard.

G.S.M. phones first used the 900-megahertz and 1800-megahertz frequency bands in Europe, and the American version uses the 850-megahertz and 1900-megahertz frequencies. A quad-band phone can use all four bands, making it operable on both sides of the Atlantic. T-Mobile and Cingular Wireless are two carriers that offer quad-band phones and GSM service in the United States.

Selecting Software for Photo Mail

Q. I like the feature in iPhoto where you can resize and e-mail pictures right from within the program, but I dont use Apples Mail software. Is there a way to switch this to Eudora?

A. Many photo-editing programs, including Apples iPhoto and Googles Picasa, include a feature that resizes and attaches digital pictures from your collection to outgoing e-mail messages. This can be helpful because as it attaches the picture to the message, the program also takes care of shrinking a copy of your photo down so the image will upload and download faster. The smaller size also makes photos fit nicely on the recipients screen.

The iPhoto software generally uses Apples own Mail program by default when creating a new message with the picture attachments in place, but you can change this. To do so, go to the iPhoto menu to Preferences and click on the General icon. Select an e-mail program from the menu next to Email photos using:

Other photo programs typically keep these settings in the Options or Preferences area. In Picasa, for example, you can select your own mail program and choose a preferred size for e-mailed pictures by going to the Tools menu to Options and then Email. (Picasa, a photo management and editing program for Windows and Linux systems, is available free at picasa.google.com.)

Windows XP itself can also automatically resize your digital pictures for e-mail. When you right-click on a picture to send it to a mail recipient, a box pops up offering to make your picture smaller before attaching it to a new message from your default mail program. You can also choose images from your My Pictures folder and click the option in the Task Pane for E-mail this file or E-mail the selected items to shrink and send copies of your photos.

Questions about computer-based technology may be sent to QandA @nytimes.com. This weekly column will address questions of general interest, but e-mail and letters cannot be answered individually.

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