Computer Act!ve articles from August 2006

Computer Act!ve archives from August 2006

Evesham Voyager C545.(Product/service evaluation)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Simon Williams Evesham Voyager C545 A notebook designed to be equally adept at multimedia and office tasks There are two conflicting requirements in a notebook. The first is as big a screen as possible and the second...

Canon PIXMA iP6220D.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Simon Williams Canon PIXMA iP6220D A good-looking printer with good features, but speed seems to be its Achilles heel Canon has done well over the last couple of years with its photo print technology. One of its latest...

Prey.(Product/service evaluation)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Prey Is this what first-person shooter addicts have been praying for? There are countless examples of products that have been eagerly awaited, only for the final product to disappoint. Fortunately,...

JVC Alneo XA-F107.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Jacqueline Williams JVC Alneo XA-F107 Another tiny MP3 player but this one can record music too Apple has stamped its mark so decisively on the portable digital music player market that any new launch draws inevitable...

Ship Simulator.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Ship Simulator Now you might not have wished to take to the waters since you were a kid in an oversized skipper's hat, but Ship Simulator is one title that should not be overlooked despite its less than...

Titan Quest.(Product/service evaluation)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Titan Quest Playing as a cross between Diablo and the ancient classic Golden Axe, Titan Quest is an role-playing game that's heavy on axe-wielding action. It may be mouse controlled but that's not to say it's...

The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion Pack The Movies was one of 2005's most desirable games, offering the chance to create your own film using a variety of elements. The ability to post these on the internet...

Work collaboratively on Word.(Product/service evaluation)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Sheila Hill Work collaboratively on Word documents Draft documents passed round for comments can get tatty. Solve this by using Word's Comment feature Some documents are like chocolates, in that they're made for...

Find definitions and synonyms with.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Find definitions and synonyms with WordWeb Get hold of a fantastic free tool that's perfect for wordsmiths and casual writers alike Microsoft Word 2003 has a number of built-in reference tools, including...

Master 3D design with Google.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Rob Beattie Master 3D design with Google SketchUp Creating 3D models used to be tricky but Google's free utility opens up computer-aided design to all Although many people are interested in design, most of us don't...

Hints and tips.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Count down the days In Excel, it's easy to calculate the number of days left until a calendar event is due. In a cell, use the formula '=IF(B40,B4-TODAY(),"")' (without the enclosing quotes), where cell B4...

Pane in the task.(using Microsoft Word with keyboard shortcuts)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Pane in the task It's easy for the Task Pane in Word 2003 to get in the way, leading to users eliminating it with a mistaken click of the X in its top-right-hand corner. However, there are times when the Task Pane...

Hints and tips.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Block of the pops Internet Explorer 6 employs a reasonably effective method of blocking annoying pop-up windows, which usually contain nothing more than unwanted adverts. However, there are some sites where pop-ups...

Hints and tips.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Undercover documents As in other Microsoft applications, documents created in Word can be password-protected. To do this, first choose the Save As option from the File menu. On the Save As dialogue box, click the...

Use Turbo Lister to create Ebay.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Paul Wardley Use Turbo Lister to create Ebay listings Discover how Turbo Lister creates auction listings when a PC is offline and helps manage them Turbo Lister has long been a favourite with regular Ebay sellers,...

Sony LocationFree.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley Sony LocationFree Another device that lets you watch your home TV anywhere in the world. But this time, it comes at a higher price Sony's LocationFree works in much the same way as the SlingMedia Slingbox...

Put together a Raid array.(using controller on the motherboard)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Put together a RAID array This Workshop will explain how to put together a RAID array using the controller on a motherboard. To take on this Workshop, you should be confident enough to install new hard disks. ...

No problem.(computer problems)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Anthony Dhanendran Missing memory QI am a little confused about how much memory there is in my computer. It was supplied with 256MB but when the computer is first turned on, there is a short opening display that...

No problem.(computer problems)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith The Problem I am trying to upgrade from Windows 98SE to Windows 2000. The upgrade process appears to work and it says it will restart and finish the installation without any more intervention. On restarting, the...

Call for fair copyright law.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Call for fair copyright law A group of independent music industry organisations want the UK's copyright laws changed to make them more relevant to today's digital technologies. The group's aim is to...

Good news for FM transmitter users.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Good news for FM transmitter users Ofcom is expected to recommend ending the 57-year ban on low-power FM transmitters, which are commonly used to send music from media players to radios and other...

Nibs.(Channel 4 Television Co. to broadcast content online and on television at the same time)(G8 nation to decide on intellectual property rights)(Hewlett-Packard Co. introduces tiny chips)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: staff HP hits the spot HP has launched Memory-Spot, a tiny chip for storing electronic data such as photographs, music or audio. The aim is put these chips in stickers and apply them to books or albums. The content can...

Free screen reader for visually impaired.(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass Free screen reader for visually impaired A free screen reader has been launched by a not-for-profit company run by a blind couple. Commercial talking-computer software can cost up to [pounds sterling]800,...

Computers tackle cancer.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Computers tackle cancer IBM is working with leading medical organisations in the US to use grid computing technology in the battle against cancer. Grid computing harnesses the unused computing power of...

Nibs.(Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision from Logitech International S.A .)(video service from Google Inc.)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: staff Google local video service A local version of Google's video-sharing service is now available. Google Video UK will allow users in Britain and Northern Ireland to view a localised homepage, which will feature...

Cruzer control.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Cruzer control The Cruzer Micro and Cruzer Titanium USB keys from SanDisk now come with Skype's broadband telephony service installed. Both ranges are U3 USB keys, which are designed to run programs as well as ...

Charity makes savings online.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Ann Lagerkvist Charity makes savings online Cancer Research UK said it had saved over [pounds sterling]2.5m annually by using online auctions to purchase products. The organisation said the first auction it used to...

PCs suffer in heatwave.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Clive Akass PCs suffer in heatwave Computers are just as vulnerable as people to the effects of heatwaves, a data-recovery firm has warned. As the nation sweltered through days of record-breaking temperatures at the...

Long-term storage.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Anna Lagerkvist Long-term storage A data storage and recovery service aimed at consumers has been launched by The Memory Deposit. The company provides long-term storage facilities in two areas of the UK. Any...

Nibs.
August 3, 2006... Byline: staff Skype type of freedom Skype has announced the availability of four Wifi mobile handsets to make free calls using internet telephony services. The four handsets are made by Belkin, Netgear, Edge-Core and SMC. All four...

Terror threat details online.(United Kingdom. Home Office)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Terror threat details online The current threat levels to the country from terrorism will be made public on a Government website. From 1 August, the websites of MI5 and the Home Office will carry details...

Webmail a 'haven for crime'.(Yahoo! Inc.)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Webmail a 'haven for crime' Yahoo is the most popular email service for fraudsters, according to Early Warning. The company specialises in card-not-present fraud. It has released a list of its top 10 free...

Digital Camera Workshop.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James Digital Camera Workshop This package contains five programs that together make a workshop for all your image-related needs. Between them they certainly cover a lot of ground, with everything from a program to...

Digital Camera Know-How.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James Digital Camera Know-How The popularity of digital photography has made it accessible to all. But the relentless advance of technology means many people don't know how to approach buying a new digital...

Printshop Photo Workshop.(editing digital phographs)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James Printshop Photo Workshop With just a little effort, most digital photographs can be used as the basis for artistic creations. And while advanced editing software offers unlimited effects and filters, cost and...

ACDSee 8.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James ACDSee 8 Given the price of top-of-the-range image-editing suites, the budget end of this market is highly competitive. However, the latest version of ACDSee holds its own, providing a sensible mix of features and...

Photos on TV.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James Photos on TV The premise of Photos on TV is to make it easy to create slideshows that can be viewed on your telly. This is a three-step process. First, digital images are imported into the program from...

Older people more ready for digital TV.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Older people more ready for digital TV The older generation is the most clued-up about the change from analogue to digital TV that starts in two years. Awareness is highest in the 65-74-year-old age group,...

Nibs.(Sky Television PLC offers broadband)(click frauds on a rise)(new smart phones from Orange A/S)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: staff 'Free' internet with Sky Satellite TV broadcaster Sky has joined the free-for-all broadband battle. New and existing customers can sign up for three new packages. Each offers different maximum download speeds and usage...

Education bill cracks down on bullies' parents.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Education bill cracks down on bullies' parents Parents of school bullies could be fined up to [pounds sterling]1,000 as the Government plans a crack down on cyber-bullying. With one in five pupils saying they...

Banks get greater powers.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek Banks get greater powers Banks and building societies will be able to withdraw credit and debit cards from people who have been cautioned for or convicted of accessing images of child abuse. New powers...

Number plate scanners branded 'illegal'.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Number plate scanners branded 'illegal' The police may be breaking the law by scanning car number plates, according to the Government's surveillance expert. Sir Andrew Leggatt, the chief surveillance...

Nibs.(increase in passport fee)(Brief article)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek New fees for passports Fees for a standard adult UK passport have risen by [pounds sterling]15, the second increase in 10 months. According to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), the rise is to pay for...

ID theft victims lack support.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Dinah Greek ID theft victims lack support Victims left to fend for themselves, with police and insurance policies offering little help The National Consumer Council (NCC) has highlighted serious flaws in the way victims of...

Cordless audio BT edit.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Scott Colvey Head to go here Box text to come from Paul

Double act.(redundant array of independent disks)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Double act Setting up a pair of hard disks to work in tandem helps keep your data safe and also potentially improves performance. We show you how to do it If you believe that two heads are better than one,...

Money.
August 3, 2006... Byline: Rob BEattie Money spinners Fortunate -- or canny -- enough to have created a website that gets a lot of visitors? Why not use all of that attention to pay for the site's costs - and maybe even a little more? Although the...

Course of action.(computing)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Martin James Course of action Plot a course -- a computer course -- with our handy guide to getting some training in the fine art of computing For eight and a half years, we at Computeractive have made it our business to...

Free for all.(personal computers)
August 3, 2006... Byline: Jane Hoskyn Free for all Getting expert computing help doesn't have to cost you a penny. We tell you how to correctly diagnose and explain your PC's problem and where to go to find free help There's nothing like a broken...

Power up!(uninterruptible power supplies)
August 17, 2006... Power up! Murphy's law says that when a power cut shuts down your PC, it's always at the most inconvenient time. Find out how to keep going with an uninterruptible power supply Most people who use PCs very regularly have accidentally...

Create 3D models with Google.(SketchUp )
August 17, 2006... Create 3D models with Google SketchUp Find out how to produce Google SketchUp designs with pinpoint measurements In our last issue we introduced SketchUp, Google's free 3D-drawing program. We created simple freehand drawings...

Join an online-networking.
August 17, 2006... Join an online-networking community Social networking is all the rage. Find out how to make friends with millions of people Social-networking websites take many of the features and services you can find elsewhere on the internet...

Work more efficiently with.(Microsoft Corp.'s task panes)
August 17, 2006... Work more efficiently with Task Panes Don't close Microsoft Office's Task Panes -- they provide a fast route to many common functions Many people, encountering the Task Pane in a Microsoft Office application will automatically...

Hints and tips.(information location )(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Take 'em to Taskbar Here's a tip that I find useful for rapid location of text, images and documents. First, right-click on a blank part of the Windows Taskbar and choose Toolbars. Next, click on New Toolbar and then use the Windows...

Acute advice.(acute accent )(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Acute advice If you need to type a vowel with an acute accent (A[acute accent]) and have a standard UK keyboard, forget about faffing with the Windows Character Map utility. Instead, just type the letter while holding down the Alt Gr key...

Hints and tips.(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Lost in translation A useful feature in Word 2003 is its translation tool. To use it, connect to the internet and place the text for translation into a Word document. Open the Tools menu and click on the Research option -- this opens a...

Hints and tips.(mouse pointers )(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Pointer power If your mouse pointer doesn't cover sufficient ground when moving the rodent around, its reach can be extended. In Windows XP, click on Start and select Control Panel. Click on the Appearances and Themes link, then the Mouse...

Acer Ferrari 5000.(notebook computers)(Product/service evaluation)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Simon Williams Acer Ferrari 5000 An affordable Ferrari with all the flair a poser's PC should have Acer's relationship with Ferrari has obviously proved good for both as a new range of exclusive notebooks prepares to...

Sony Alpha 100 review.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Gavin Stoker Sony Alpha 100 After much hype, Sony's debut digital SLR is now available to buy Announced to fanfare months ago Sony's first digital SLR (D-SLR) camera -- a product of the acquisition of Konica Minolta...

Access the internet on.
August 17, 2006... Access the internet on the move When you're out and about, it's handy to keep track of your emails, or just surf the web to kill some time There are numerous ways to connect to the internet when out and about. Notebook computer...

Homeworld 2.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James Homeworld 2 Games set in space tend to be visually spectacular, and Homeworld 2 doesn't disappoint, even three years after its original release. At the time, this title broke new ground in its use of 3D...

CD Roms intro.(new games)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James Cheap thrills If you're in need of an adrenaline rush, there are plenty of games to meet your needs that won't cost the earth Brand new games aren't cheap, but if you're willing to wait a year or two after...

Pippa Funnell: The Stud Farm Inheritance.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James Pippa Funnell: The Stud Farm Inheritance Any game revolving around managing your own stud farm is going to have niche appeal; the trick is making sure it has broader appeal than just horse lovers. Our first...

Juiced.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James Juiced Given its relatively small following in real life, the subject of street racing is a surprisingly popular one for game makers. Maybe it has something to do with the adrenaline-packed danger that is part...

American Conquest.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James American Conquest Given the title of this game, you could be forgiven for thinking it is a modern military strategy game. However, it actually starts at the end of the 15th century, with Christopher Columbus'...

Racing Simulation 3.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Martin James Racing Simulation 3 Due to licensing difficulties, there has been a notable lack of F1 motor racing games in recent years. As a result, Racing Simulation 3 (RS3) remains one of the leading games in this genre,...

Asus WL-566gM MIMO.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Asus WL-566gM MIMO Can't wait for faster Wifi? Then why not go the MIMO route? When people talk about Wifi they're usually referring to the standards known as 802.11b and 802.11g that are used for wireless...

Belkin Switch2.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Belkin Switch2 Who says that Apple Macs and PCs can't work side by side? When the Apple Mac Mini came out last year, even the most Apple-unfriendly PC users found themselves hankering after one. Indeed,...

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Si 1520.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Si 1520 A truly portable notebook computer for general computer work The Amilo series is Fujitsu Siemens' line of 'value' home computers. While it might not be a powerful beast, the...

Kworld DVD Maker USB2.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Kworld DVD Maker USB2 Turn old videotapes into DVDs Looking like an oversized USB key with a bunch of cables dangling from it, Kworld's DVD Maker USB2 is, in fact, an external video capture device. On...

Packard Bell Store and Play.(hard disks)(Product/service evaluation)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Packard Bell Store & Play A media-savvy external hard disk drive for your PC and TV There are a lot of hard disk-based media devices around at the moment, and Packard Bell's Store & Play is one of the better...

Civilization 4 : Warlords.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Civilization 4 : Warlords Civilization 4 was only unleashed six months ago but has already proven itself to be one of the finest video games of all time. This expansion pack (the original is needed to play)...

Micro Machines V4.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Micro Machines V4 It may be the fourth version, but the Micro Machines gaming franchise feels like it has been around longer than computers themselves. For those who have just woken up from a 10-year stint...

DarkStar One.(computer games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson DarkStar One It does not take a Steven Hawking intellect to deduce that DarkStar One is a space adventure. Further analysis shows that the aim is to take control of a Jack-of-all-trades in a time...

Join an online network.
August 17, 2006... Join an online-networking community

Sennheiser CX300 mini.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Headphones >> [pounds sterling]40 Sennheiser CX300 The CX300 headphones are of the variety that sit inside the user's ear canal, which means they're surprisingly effective at cutting out external noise....

Logic3 i-Station8.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Speakers >> [pounds sterling]99 Logic3 i-Station8 Logic3 presents an interesting all-in-one iPod speaker option with the i-Station8. Compact and relatively light, the i-Station8 could be used as...

Gennum Nxzen plus.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Tim Smith Bluetooth headset >> [pounds sterling]105 Gennum Nxzen Plus Take calls and listen to music on one headset Those who use both headphones for listening to music and a mobile phone headset for making and...

Remote record from Sky.(for recording television programs)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley SERVICE >> Free Sky+ Remote Record Instruct your Sky+ box to record a TV show via your mobile phone Remote Record from Sky is an attempt to end the problem of forgetting to set a Sky+ box to record your...

Humax HDCI-2000.
August 17, 2006... Byline: Will Stapley Satellite receiver >> [pounds sterling]299 Humax HDCI-2000 HD The received wisdom on high-definition television (HDTV) is that viewers need a Sky dish and receiver to watch it. That's only half true. You...

Buffalo DriveStation.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Removable storage >> [pounds sterling]218 Buffalo DriveStation 400GB An external hard disk with some extra features The DriveStation 400GB is a large external hard disk -- large in both the size of...

X-oom podcast studio mini.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Internet software >> [pounds sterling]20 Podcast Studio The idea behind Podcast Studio is to combine the tools for both creating and listening to podcasts in one package.In practice, though, things don't...

Cars.(video game)(Product/service evaluation)
August 17, 2006... Byline: Eddie Henderson Cars Quickly runs out of gas, but there are speedy thrills while it lasts It's fair to say that the computer-game interpretations of Pixar's animated masterpieces, such as Toy Story and The...

Driving force.
August 17, 2006... Driving force Drivers enable devices to communicate with your PC and are the root of many problems -- we give directions on avoiding bad drivers Drivers (of the PC variety) have developed a bit of a bad reputation over the years,...