Q. I need help making a desktop wallpaper. I’d like to take a 360-degree view of my airplane hangar. This will require multiple photos. How do I put them together?



A. Creating panoramas is easy today. Software will do the heavy lifting. It can stitch your photos together automatically. First, take all your photos from the same spot. And include a small overlap between photos. Next, plug them in to your stitching software. Try Microsoft Image Composite Editor or Autostitch. If you use a Mac, try Hugin. Resize the finished product to fit your screen. Use a program like IrfanView for that. Find these programs at Komando.com/news.



Q. I am using Windows 7. I have a few older programs that I use for work. So, I’ve been using XP Mode. Does XP Mode require separate security programs?



A. XP Mode lets you run XP programs within Windows 7. The programs appear to be running in Windows 7. In reality, though, the programs are running on an XP virtual machine. Windows 7 and the XP virtual machine do not share processes. So each needs its own security software. I have all the free security programs you need. Go to Komando.com/news. Since XP has been unprotected, scan it after installing the security software.



Q. I like to shut down my Mac every night. But I often forget. Can the Mac turn itself off?



A. Yes, indeed. It can turn itself on, too. And it can do both on any schedule you’d like. Setting this up is simple. Click the Apple logo, and select System Preferences. Click Energy Saver. Then click the Schedule button. Set the days and times. Do the same for booting. There’s one caveat for laptop owners: Your computer must be plugged in to the power adapter.



Q. I need more USB ports. There are just too many gadgets to plug in. What can I do?



A. You can never have too many USB ports. Unplugging gadgets just to connect new ones gets old. One solution is to add a USB card. A four-port card will cost you less than $10. It will plug in to an empty PCI slot. So, you need to open the computer to install it. Or, buy a USB hub. This will connect to an existing USB port. It will add several more ports. USB hubs come in all shapes and sizes. The number of ports they add will vary. Prices start around $10.



Q. My hard drive recently crashed. I was able to recover my files from backups. That is, with the exception of my iTunes music. Can I recover it from my iPod?



A. Yes, you can. But be careful. When connecting your iPod to your computer, you have several options. You can associate the iPod with the computer. Don’t. This will erase all of the data. You’ll likely need a program to recover your music. If you’re using Windows, try iDump. On Macs, go for Pod to Mac. Find them at Komando.com/news. There is one caveat. iDump will not work with an iPod touch or iPhone. Windows users with these devices will need to buy software. Try CopyTrans ($20) or Anapod Explorer ($20-$30).



Copyright 2010, WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.

Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit: http://www.komando.com/listen.