Australian PC World articles from June 2006

Australian PC World archives from June 2006

Dump the TV: the PC industry has latched onto customer electronics as a way to stimulate its fortunes. Now with Intel's Viiv-branded systems on sale, the hard sell to drive the PC into the lounge room has truly begun.
June 1, 2006... Most of us would like to see a convergence of the electronic devices that clutter our living rooms. Whether it's accessing the Internet, sharing your videos, DVDs and music files or recording your favourite TV shows, we all know there is a...

Costly security upgrades.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... For many years I have been a loyal Symantec customer, upgrading and maintaining current anti-virus subscriptions as needed. Until this year, I have found prices and options have not been too high to allow one to maintain what appears to be...

Beware the biro.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Readers with bicycles might be aware that a method of opening supposedly "unbreakable" Kryponite bike locks in seconds with a biro has been published widely on the Internet. Readers with laptops need to also be aware that certain well-known...

Even bigger than Ben Hur.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I believe that Bronwyn Reynolds (Readers Forum, April 2006) has another possible option. By utilising the suggestion below, ownership of a projector, either digital or overhead, is avoided. The printer manufacturers are now into very large...

Notebook warranty upsell.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... What is happening with some notebook warranties? Deli is presently advertising a model for $1399 which carries a 1-year limited warranty. A recommended upgrade is for 3-year next business day support plan, actually an additional 2-year...

Missive of the month.(READERS' FORUM)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Congratulations to John Crawford! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

'Vista schedule slips.(planning of Microsoft Windows Vista)
June 1, 2006... More delays in the release schedule for Windows Vista hint that problems with getting the OS out the door may be broader than Microsoft has articulated. Beta testers familiar with Microsoft's plans to release test versions of the OS said...

Batteries: a better use for viruses.(Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology research )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US have figured out a way to use viruses to build ultrathin lithium-ion batteries that pack three times the normal energy level for their weight and size. By manipulating...

Toshiba's first HD-DVD launches.(Toshiba HD-XA1)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Toshiba has begun selling the world's first HD-DVD player in Japan, moving the format battle between the world's largest consumer electronics makers from the floors of trade shows to retail stores. HD-DVD is backed by Toshiba, the DVD Forum and...

In the labs: transparent screens.(research by Technical University of Braunschweig)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... If you've seen the movie "Minority Report" and marvelled at the transparent computer screens used by Tom Cruise, you'll appreciate what German researchers have concocted in their labs: entirely transparent OLED (organic light emitting diode)...

Add wireless and TV tuner devices--for less than you think!(SWEET SPOT)(Buyers guide)(Column)
June 1, 2006... In recent months this column has shown you how to build some well performing, and well-priced PC systems including a Sub-$2000 PC (April 2006 issue, page 12), as well as an everyday PC for less than $900 (May 2006 issue, page 14). This...

Apple puts XP on the Mac.(new software from Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Apple has released beta software that lets Mac users run Microsoft's Windows XP operating system on Intel-based Macintosh computers. Called Boot Camp, the software creates a hard drive partition for Windows XP and lets users choose between...

McAfee buys SiteAdvisor.(STARTUP: LATEST REVIEWS, INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... McAfee has purchased Web-site rating company SiteAdvisor. Founded by a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers in April 2005, SiteAdvisor develops automated software that tests Web sites to see whether they install nasty things...

Sharper sounds.(SwissMemory s.beat MP3)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Last year, the SwissMemory USB Victorinox--a Swiss Army Knife with detachable USB flash drive--was the ultimate geek-chic accessory, and is now available in diamond-studded gold and silver versions (starting at a mere $US1750). However,...

Portable presentations.(Acer WP100)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Totally portable projection is one-step closer with Acer's wireless presentation gateway, which can deliver video information wirelessly. It uses Acer's SignalUp technology to enhance transmission and reception. You can also add your own...

Desperately seeking Wi-Fi.(Linksys WUSBF54G)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Linksys WUSBF54G Wi-Fi finder is quite small with dimensions of 1.5cm x 2.5cm x 10cm and weighs only 50 grams, so it is quite pocket friendly. Flick the on/off switch on the bottom and it will immediately begin scanning for Wi-Fi networks...

Lock down your notebook.(QUICK TAKES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The T3 Security Key from TISS (Total Internet Security Solutions) is a hardware and software solution that adds an extra layer of security to your Windows desktop and also allows you to create secure vaults in which to keep your sensitive data....

Slim Sony ultra-portable: Sony VGN-TX27GP.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Sony has once again shown it has notebook style mastered to a degree that would make Steve Jobs green with envy. Focusing heavily on form, whilst squeezing out as much functionality as is currently possible is Sony's VGN-TX27GP, the follow up...

Photo-quality MFD: Epson Stylus CX5700F.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Epson is targeting its Stylus CX5700F multi-function inkjet printer at the home and small business markets. It's a 4-ink (with individual ink cartridges) printer with a flatbed scanner and a rear paper feed that accepts paper up to A4 size. ...

Intermediate digital camera: Olympus mju 700.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... The mju 700 is the latest in Olympus' range of compact, no-fuss digital cameras, designed for beginners. Like Fuji's compact Z2, the mju 700 can shoot at high sensitivity in low light without flash to capture natural ambience. It's attractively...

Professional digital camera: Nikon D200.(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Nikon's D200 is a 10.2 megapixel (Mp) digital single-lens reflex (SLR) designed for serious amateurs and professional photographers. It's the successor to the ageing Nikon D100 and competes directly against Canon's EOS-20D and, to a lesser...

Sketch in 3-D: SketchUp 5.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... SketchUp 5 from @Last software, recently acquired by Google, allows anybody to become a fairly proficient technical drawer in next to no time with its simple interface for 3-D design. While its software isn't as powerful as computer aided...

Who's face is that? Riya photo search.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Riya (www.riya.com) has launched a free photo service that brings the power of facial recognition technology and Optical Character Reading (OCR) to photos on the Web. Is this a good thing? Weil, the jury is still out on that. Once signed...

Budget, mobile media centre: HP Pavilion DV1610.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... HP has modified the design of its media centre styled notebook, the DV1610. The chassis features a few more curves as well as some silver panelling on the front of a predominantly black notebook. Altec Lansing speakers are embedded in the...

Making the move from big blue: Lenovo 3000 N100.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... The Lenovo 3000 N100 marks the continued transition of the company's notebook range from its heritage. Of note, the N100 does not include IBM's ThinkPad branding. The chassis is well-built with strong plastic and has a tiny embedded webcam...

Powerful PC for video, gaming: Infocom FPS4200.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... If you're looking for plenty of power for video editing or gaming, but don't want to spend over $3000, this PC from Infocom is worth a look. It's based on an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ CPU, which is a dual-core, 64-bit CPU that performs...

Budget PC with grunt: TI AMD Dual Core 3800.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... The TI AMD Dual Core 3800 offers a good balance between performance, price and features--in an affordable $1500 package. It packs in an entry-level dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ CPU, along with 1GB of RAM, a GeForce 6600GT-based graphics...

Piping hot graphics: Gigabyte GV-RX16T256V-RH.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Quiet operation is the hallmark of Gigabyte's mid-range graphics card, which keeps cool by using three large heat sinks connected by heat pipes. This setup is designed to absorb the heat produced by the ATI Radeon X1600XT graphics chip during...

Graphic successor: Leadtek PX7600GT TDH.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Leadtek's new mid-range graphics card is based on NVIDIA's 7600GT processor, which has a clock speed of 560MHz, a memory speed of 1.4GHz and it can process 12 pixels per clock cycle. The processor is built using NVIDIA's 90nm fabrication...

DVD-authoring software: Adobe Encore DVD 2.0.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... There's more to authoring a DVD than just burning video to disc. But most authoring software packages give you only limited design options--and this includes many semiprofessional apps. Adobe's Encore DVD has taken a different tack, bringing...

Long battery for "always on" e-mail: RIM Blackberry 8700G.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... It's hard to imagine life before the BlackBerry. Weil, maybe that's exaggerating. But it's certainly true we depend on pocket-sized devices that fulfil the vast bulk of our communication and contacts needs. BlackBerry developer RIM...

Open source Internet suite: SeaMonkey.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Volunteer developers have resuscitated a group of Internet tools built by Netscape--named SeaMonkey, this suite integrates Web browsing, e-mail, chat, and an HTML editor in an easy-to-use package. SeaMonkey's Navigator has standard browser...

ASUS releases TV card: ASUS My Cinema-P7131Dual.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... While ASUS is well-renowned for its top quality motherboards and graphics cards, it still has a lot of work to do until it can be considered an elite TV tuner card brand. Its new My Cinema-P7131Dual card doesn't stack up well against other...

Versatile TV tuner: AverMedia AverTV Hybrid+FM PCI.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... AverMedia's Hybrid TV tuner card is a half-height PCI card, which ships with a half-height mounting bracket and has broadcast driver architecture (BDA) support, making it suitable for use in a media centre PC. The card can tune into analog...

Buffalo delivers speed, reach: Buffalo AirStation MIMO WZR-G108.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... If you want to implement a far-reaching and speedy Wi-Fi network, a MIMO-capable (multiple-in, multiple-out antenna technology) router is currently your best option, and Buffalo's AirStation MIMO WZR-G108 is worth considering. It's a...

Fast 802.11g router: ASUS WL-566GM.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Using the third generation of Airgo's True MIMO (multiple-in, multiple-out) chipset, Asus has laid claim to having the world's first 802.11g wireless router (for an ADSL or cable connection) that is faster at transferring data than a wired...

Network-management tool: Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional 2006.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Given the complexity of modern operating systems, it can be challenging to monitor and manage a single computer, let alone a network full of them. That's why network managers need software to help--such as WhatsUp Professional. Ipswitch's...

Drawing made easier: CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Thy the "X3" in CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3? It's shorthand for 10+3--yes, this is the illustration package's 13th major release. Like most updates to venerable programs, X3 focuses on refinements rather than breakthroughs. Still, there are...

IP security camera alternative: Swann PC DVR 4 NET Security Guardian and CCTV Security Camera Four Pack.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Multiple camera security surveillance over a network (using Internet Protocol) can be expensive to implement. Swann has created a surveillance solution that delivers exactly the same thing--multiple camera security--at a competitive price. This...

Print photos direct to disc: Lexmark P450.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Lexmark has come to the compact photo printer party with an innovative twist. While the company, like HP and Epson, is sticking with its own inkjet printing system rather than opting for thermal dye, it has built a notebook CDR drive into the...

PC free slideshow viewer: Sandisk Photo Album SDV2-A.(FIRST LOOKS )(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... The SanDisk Photo Album is a small device that sits on top of the TV, offering the ability to watch photo slideshows, play videos (AVI and MOV files from a digital camera) and listen to MP3s, all independently of a PC. It's neatly made, offers...

The big Kahuna: Microsoft Live Mail.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... When Microsoft paid $400 million for HoTMaiL in 1997, it was to provide MSN users with an HTML-based e-mail client that could be accessed from anywhere --though at the expense of their POP3 mail accounts. While Hotmail (Microsoft dropped the...

Three chips, hooray! Panasonic NV-GS180.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Panasonic's use of three-CCD (charge-coupled device) technology in consumer-grade camcorders has clearly been a success. The number of models available has been growing steadily. But with so many options now, Panasonic's own range is starting...

Hi-speed compact scanner: Kodak 140.(FIRST LOOKS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Offices with little desk space but heavy document scanning requirements find that most flatbed scanners are just too big--and very often not designed to be carthorses. The i40 steers a different course: as an upright sheet-fed model it has a...

New, improved Web: ready for the next online revolution? Powerful tools help you work, search, communicate and share data your way--usually for free.
June 1, 2006... Like a child progressing into adolescence, the Web has entered a new era of sophistication. We used to spend most of our time just surfing the Internet--reading and downloading whatever we could find. Nowadays we're more likely to create waves...

Battery boosters: sick of running out of juice at the worst possible moment? Here's how to squeeze every last drop out of your gadgets' batteries and charge them up quickly and conveniently.(BATTERY BOOSTERS)
June 1, 2006... Digital camera tips * Turn off the flash: those bright bulbs eat up power, and turning off the flash may give you dozens of extra shots. Bonus: some indoor shots look better with the flash turned off, because the camera captures the...

Primetime PCs: are media centre PCs ready for their close-up? PC World reviews five of the best out now. Plus, turn to page 67 for what you'll need to build your own home entertainer.(Altech Maestro Pro V)(Claritas CLT-302)(Enspire AVX-500)(HP Media Centre 7390)(Pioneer DreamVision)(Cover story)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... A cool and compact PC for the living room has long been the answer to integrating all aspects of home theatre into one device. No need for messy cable hook-ups or individual components: a media centre PC can be your TV tuner, video recorder,...

Digital photo superguide: need a new camera? Want to get more out of the one you already own? We've rounded up today's best point-and-shoot models, plus handy accessories and services that let you take better pictures and share them with the world.(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2006... Twenty years ago, 110-format film cameras ruled the earth. A decade ago, Advanced Photo System cameras were the kings of the snapshot. But today, unquestionably, digital is it. Thanks to digital technology, the average picture you take today is...

The Pod.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)
June 1, 2006... When you slip a compact point-and-shoot camera into your backpack, you probably don't plan on hauling a big, heavy tripod to mount it on. But if you want to capture a long exposure or steady the camera so that you can take a sharp picture in...

Belkin Media Reader for iPod.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... On a long trip, you probably carry extra memory cards or a laptop to accommodate all the pictures you'll take. But if you're already packing an iPod, why not let it do double duty as a hard drive? That's the idea behind Belkin's Media...

LE-Adapter.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The LE-Adapter lets you attach a telescope, binoculars, a spotting scope or a microscope to your camera, dramatically magnifying its zoom power. The LE-Adapter works with a range of digital and film cameras, from small point-and-shoot...

Imeem.(blog service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... These days, text and photo blogs are as hot as Web sites were in 1996. But some people are reluctant to post personal photographs to a blog that the entire universe has access to. If you're looking for a way to share pictures, text and files...

Avvenu.(new photo sharing service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Sometimes, in spite of the growing number of online file-sharing sites, the hardest part of digital photography can be showing off what you've done. Generally, you can't e-mail large images because most e-mail servers balk at such large files....

Slide.(photo sharing service)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Slide is unlike a typical photo-sharing service. Whereas most sites post pictures online for visitors to peruse in a browser-based photo album, Slide displays your photos in a rolling filmstrip that scrolls slowly down the side of your computer...

PowerToys for Windows.(introduced by Microsoft Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... If you're eager to get a little more digital camera-savvy, you don't have to wait for Windows Vista--with its built-in photo organiser and editor--to arrive. Microsoft's PowerToys--free but unsupported add-ons to Windows--include a couple of...

GPS-Photo Link.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Are you ready for a taste of so-called geo-photography? GPS-Photo Link associates photographs from almost any digital camera with position data from an ordinary handheld GPS receiver, as long as the receiver can download the saved waypoint...

Konfabulator Tools for Flickr.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Konfabulator is a free utility that lets you position widgets (little apps that do all sorts of things) on your desktop. Two of these widgets add cool capabilities to the popular photo-sharing Web site Flickr. FD Flickr Uploader makes...

HP iron-on transfer.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)
June 1, 2006... T-shirts may not qualify as fine art, but transferring digital photos to clothing is popular for fundraisers, team sports and family projects. HP's Iron-On Transfer paper works well with a wide variety of printers, so it's a great choice for...

Philips 7FF1AW/37 Digital Photo Display.(BOOST YOUR PHOTO FUN: Products to round out your digital photography kit.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Because most digital photos never get printed on paper, sharing them electronically makes a lot of sense. That's where a digital display comes in handy. The Philips 7FF1AW/37 Digital Photo Display may have a name that only a robot could...

ExpoCap.(new product from ExpoImaging)
June 1, 2006... What colour is white? Your digital camera must answer that question every time it takes a picture. To a camera, white looks different indoors, outdoors, at sunset and at high noon. Unfortunately, when running on full automatic settings, most...

Tales from the couch.(BEST BUYS: TOP HARDWARE, REVIEWED AND RATED)
June 1, 2006... Intel and AMD recently launched the new home entertainment platforms--Viiv and Live! respectively--designed to make choosing a digital lifestyle PC easier by integrating all the digital entertainment elements to be accessed from the comfort of...

PCs.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... BEST BUYS PCs [pc world TEST CENTRE] $1500-$3000 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS [1] Infocom FPS4200 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ CPU, NVIDIA Price: $2950 nForce4 SLI chipset, 2 x 256MB XFX...

Notebooks.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... NOTEBOOKS [pc world TEST CENTRE] SUB-$2500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATONS [1] HP DV1610 Intel Core Duo Processor T2300 Price: $1999 (1.66GHz),...

TV tuners.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... TV TUNERS MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS [1] DViCO FusionHDTV PCI; USB 2.0; HDTV; SDTV; Dual DVB- DVB-T Dual Digital T tuners; PIP; time-shifting; Price: $325 ...

DVD burners.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... DVD BURNERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] MODEL CD SPEEDS DVD SPEEDS [1] Pioneer-A11XLA CD-ROM 40x DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-R Price: $99 CD-RW 32x 16x, DVD-RW...

Wireless routers.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... WIRELESS ROUTERS [pc world TEST CENTRE] WI-FI SPEEDS MIMO ROUTERS WI-FI SECURITY [1] Netgear RangeMax WPN824 11Mbps, 54Mbps, 108Mbps ...

19in LCD monitors.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... 19in LCD MONITORS [pc world TEST CENTRE] PANEL TECHNOLOGY RESPONSE TIME INPUT MODEL DOT PITCH SPEAKERS ...

ADSL2 modems.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... BEST BUYS ADSL2 MODEMS [pc world TEST CENTRE] ADSL2 MODEMS ADSL STANDARDS NETWORKING [1] Dynalink RTA1025W ADSL; ADSL2; 4-port switch; DHCP Price: $199 ADSL2+ ...

Projectors.(BEST BUYS)(Buyers guide)(Table)
June 1, 2006... BEST BUYS PROJECTORS [pc world TEST CENTRE] PROJECTION TECHNOLOGY/ ZOOM/ ASPECT PROJECTION APERTURE/ RATIO/ MODEL...

Slipstreaming.(use of Microsoft Windows Recovery Console)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q I have been trying to install the Windows Recovery Console, but I keep getting an error message. I have tried copying the i386 folder from my original installation CD and then running the integrate command from the full SP2 downloaded file,...

Powerless wizard.(WINDOWS XP)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q I have a laptop for work and a desktop PC at home. Both run Windows XP. When connect them and run the Network Setup Wizard I receive the message: "Cannot complete the Network Setup Wizard. The wizard detected that this computer belongs to a...

Spare cache.(what is MSOCache?)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q A folder named MSOCache is in the root of my C drive and contains more than 100MB of files. What is it for and am I able to delete it? --Wayne Taylor A This folder contains copies of Microsoft Office installation files. They are...

Out of order.(booting the computer)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... With more and more of us using some kind of removable external storage, like a USB thumb drive or an external hard drive, it's becoming common for readers to experience the following error message when they boot up their computers--"Reboot and...

Unexpected restart.(WINDOWS XP)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q During a session, my screen will go black and the computer restarts itself. This seems to happen when issuing a command of some sort, but not anything specific. Your advice would be appreciated.--Peter Berry A This is quite a well-known...

Missing msconfig.(WINDOWS 2000)
June 1, 2006... Q I'm running Windows 2000. I type Start-Run and type msconfig, as you recommend to access the items that automatically run at Startup, but I get the message "Cannot find msconfig (or one of its components). Make sure the path and file name are...

Large print.(INTERNET)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q Recently several Web sites have displayed using text so large it was difficult to read them and some e-mail messages have used such large fonts that they were impractical to print. How can I control this? --Malcolm Anderson A I...

Two for one?(AntiVirus software licence for two computers)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q I have two computers on my home network. Both run XP SP2 and Norton AntiVirus 2005. How can I configure one computer so that it receives LiveUpdate from the other, so I don't have to pay the fee twice? --Alistair Maxwell A Sorry,...

Lost control.(HARDWARE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q I recently installed some video-editing software on my PC. I am now getting a message at startup that states: 'WARNING. The ATI Control Panel failed to initialise, because no ATI driver is installed, or the ATI driver is not working properly....

Slow reader.(HARDWARE)(testing speed of external drive and USB port)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Q I've installed Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7.0, and I'm using my 250GB external USB 2.0 hard drive, plugged in to a seven-port USB hub to store the captured video. The drive appears correctly installed, but takes ages to transfer video to the...

Taskbar repair.(TOP TIP)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Some readers have experienced the problem of missing system tray icons, with some of their system tray programs running, but not showing up where they should--which makes things tricky if you need to access pop-up menus by clicking on the...

Beat the bloat: indulge in a little spring cleaning and boost your computer's performance by clearing the tray of useless icons.(HERE'S HOW: HASSLE-FREE PC)
June 1, 2006... Want to see the winner of the most bloated system tray award? It weighs in with 30 icons and counting (see find.pcworld.com/50982). This month I'll tell you how to shake the system tray free of worthless items while retaining the essential...

Unclutter your desktop.(desktop icons)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... I preach neatness, but my notebook's desktop is an unholy mess, with icons everywhere. That's fine with me--until I have to do a presentation and everyone gets a look at my disorderly desktop. My trick is to use an obscure feature built right...

The hole story: find out how yet another windows flaw makes surfing riskier and how hackers may use outlook e-mail messages to take over your computer.(HERE'S HOW: BUGS & FIXES)
June 1, 2006... Attackers have been using increasingly novel means to break into Windows systems--for example, using doctored media files like music, Web graphics and video. Now joining that roster of dirty tricks are booby-trapped text fonts embedded in Web...

Winamp danger.
June 1, 2006... If you open a specially crafted playlist (from a link on a malicious Web site, for example) with version 5.12 of Winamp, you'll end up with a buffer overflow error that could let the bad guys take over your PC. To get the fix, you need to...