Computer Act!ve articles from August 2007

Computer Act!ve archives from August 2007

Make more space on Windows.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Make more space on Windows Taskbar If Windows Taskbar real estate is at a premium then group buttons to free up room Whenever an application is launched in Windows a button for it appears on the Taskbar a...

Goodbye toolbars.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Goodbye toolbars When browsing the web in Internet Explorer (or any other browser for that matter), the toolbars at the top of the screen can really be a pain. To overcome this, I like to use the full-screen...

workshop hint.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey On the launch pad The Quick Launch toolbar enables you to open programs with just one click. It sits to the right of the Start button and can be turned on or off by right-clicking a blank area of the Taskbar,...

Extend the index.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Extend the index VistaA-s Indexing service monitors the contents of folders and catalogues the files they contain to speed up file searches. By default, only a limited number of locations are indexed, but it is...

Now you see it...(configuring menu bar)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Now you see it... Anyone switching from Windows XP to Vista will notice that the menu bar that used to appear at the top of Windows Explorer windows is no longer present. While the replacement Command bar provides...

workshop intro.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Configure VistaA-s Ease of Access Center VistaA-s Ease of Access Center provides easier-to-view on-screen elements and spoken help. We show you how p36A Automate repetitive tasks in Microsoft Word ...

Prevent and solve problems in.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Prevent and solve problems in Windows XP Diagnose computer problems by disabling selected software and hardware with MSConfig. Find out how When Windows XP starts up, it is not just the operating system...

Configure Ease of Access Center.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Configure Ease of Access Center in Vista VistaA-s Ease of Access Center provides easier-to-view on-screen elements and spoken help For anyone with visibility, mobility or hearing difficulties using a...

Automate repetitive tasks with.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Automate repetitive tasks with Word macros When editing Microsoft Word documents, save time and effort by getting macros to do the work for you If you frequently edit Microsoft Word documents to correct...

next issue.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Make your own right-click menus Test broadband connection speeds Add sticky notes to Windows Parental Controls in Windows Vista Hints & Tips

Neovo V-10 digital photo frame.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Neovo V-10 digital photo frame A stylish frame for showing off snaps WeA-ve seen a fair amount of new digital photo frames recently, with more advanced models combining music or video playback with the primary...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.(Product/service evaluation)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The boy wizardA-s fifth movie outing gets the EA games tie-in treatment, but lacks that all-important magic This inevitable game of the movie of the fifth...

Western Digital MyBook World Edition.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Western Digital MyBook World Edition An external hard disk with a difference Notable hard disk maker Western Digital is branching out into external disks and network storage. While the MyBook can be...

Terratec PreAmp iVinyl.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Terratec PreAmp iVinyl Copy vinyl classics to your computer Copying music from LPs is often a problem as a because of the sound level record players output a it is not possible to plug a record player directly...

Agfa AP2700 Photo Printer.(Product/service evaluation)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Simon Williams Agfaphoto Printer AP2700 Good-quality home photos from a well-known imaging name Sagem is now selling its photo printers under the better-known Agfa brand in the UK, exclusively through Argos catalogue...

Grab a bargain.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Naomi Mackay Grab a bargain If finances canA-t stretch to a shiny new PC a or perhaps thereA-s already a decent PC in the house and you donA-t want to splash out on another one for the kids a there are alternatives. ...

Canon Pixma IP2500.(Product/service evaluation)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Simon Williams Canon Pixma iP2500 A simple workhorse photo printer Although sales of multifunction devices continue to top those of simple photo printers, there are some situations where a printer is all you need....

A lesson in cost cutting.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Naomi Mackay A lesson in cost cutting To really cut costs, look around for free software. If the idea of splashing out for Microsoft Office doesnA-t appeal, take a look at the free program Open Office, which can be downloaded...

Iriver X20.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Iriver X20 The X20 is a versatile widescreen music player that can also play video. Although the 2.2in screen is small, videos and photos are watchable. It comes in capacities of up to 8GB (we looked at the [pounds...

Pioneer BDC-SO2.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Pioneer BDC-S02 WeA-re only now starting to see high-definition disc readers and writers for PCs coming on to the market. WeA-re yet to see many PC manufacturers building them into new computers, partly because...

Magellan Crossover GPS.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Magellan Crossover GPS Navigation devices are not just for road users, a point Magellan is trying to make with the Crossover, which is designed to appeal to hikers and sailing enthusiasts as well as drivers. ...

Sound without strings.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Niall Magennis Sound without strings Set your music free and say goodbye to a floor cluttered with cables by switching to wireless speakers Speakers can make a beautiful sound, but they can also make an ugly mess,...

Stream to your speakers.
August 9, 2007... Byline: NIall Magennis Stream to your speakers Unless youA-ve had your head buried in the sand for the last year, youA-ll have noticed the huge rise in the number of music phones on the market, including Walkman models from...

Wacom Bamboo.(Product/service evaluation)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Wacom Bamboo Alternative to a mouse that could ease the strain on your wrist Graphics tablets are worth considering if you suffer from Repetitive Strain Injury or want an alternative to the mouse. The Wacom...

BenQ DC-T700.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Andrea Marie Vassou BenQ DC-T700 A compact camera with a touch screen Touch-screen technology, which was once limited to expensive devices and pub video games, has been introduced into the high street in the past few years...

Linksys Kiss 1600.(Product/service evaluation)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Linksys Kiss 1600 Stream your music and video files around the house in high definition Media streamers have been around for a while and while things have sped up since Apple joined the race to move...

X-oom Internet Movies 3.
August 9, 2007... X-oom Internet Movies 3 Transferring and converting video can be an awkward process due to the huge variety of file formats and resolutions available. X-oom Internet Movies 3 tries to solve this by supporting the websites Youtube, Google...

Medion 6486.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Medion 6486 A powerful all-round internet and entertainment PC for the home This computer, available exclusively in Tesco stores, is built around one of IntelA-s newest Core2 Duo processors, the E6750....

downloads.(Website list)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Flock 0.9 www.computeractive.co.uk/2161558 A web browser ideal for social networking Flock is based on Firefox but has a number of extras installed by default that make sharing photos and writing blogs very...

Rom tombola.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Rom tombola From the green fingered to the point-and-click adventurer, we bring you a variety of brand-new CD-Roms releases A varied bunch of CD-Rom reviews this issue, beginning with Bone: Out From Boneville,...

TomTom Go 720.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran TomTom Go 720 Satellite navigation with bells, whistles and more The TomTom Go 720 is the new flagship in TomTomA-s range of navigation devices. As this is an early look at the product, before its...

Growing Plants Deluxe Interactive Encyclopedia 3.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Growing Plants Deluxe Interactive Encyclopedia 3 ItA-s late summer and well-tended gardens should by now be in full bloom but thereA-s still time to get out with the high-potash fertiliser to promote flowering a...

Bone: Out From Boneville.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Bone: Out From Boneville Bone is the star of an American cult comic book series of the same name, so itA-s possible that youA-ve never heard of him before. However, this doesnA-t matter if you are a fan of...

Noddy And The Magic Clock.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Noddy And The Magic Clock Silly Noddy. He made the mistake of reading out a spell from the Magic Book Of Time and now ToylandA-s Magic Clock has been ruined! This has put time out of order and Toyland is in...

netchart.(Website list)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith The number of blogs on the internet is growing a we look at three sites that help get the best from them www.bloglines.com Bloglines can organise many different feeds into folders for easy reference. It...

Rogue dialogue box QEvery time I turn off my computer (which uses Windows XP Media Center Edition) a dialogue box entitled A'cdirectorychangewatcherhelperA' appears. It doesnA't cause any trouble except to slow the PC when shutting down. What does this dialo.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith, Anthony Dhanendran Rogue dialogue box QEvery time I turn off my computer (which uses Windows XP Media Center Edition) a dialogue box entitled A'cdirectorychangewatcherhelperA- appears. It doesnA-t cause any trouble...

Free download.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles A A Upgrade offer Upgrade to Ashampoo Magical Defrag 2 The new version of Magical Defrag includes a new feature that attempts to prevent fragmentation occurring in the first place. Disk defragmentation is...

Free download.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles Keep your disk defragmented all the time 1Ashampoo Magical Defrag uses a fairly easy-to-understand interface. Getting started with the software is as easy as starting it. To defragment an entire disk, simply install...

Ashampoo Magical Defrag 1.2.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles Ashampoo Magical Defrag 1.2 Defragment your hard disk and improve your PCA-s performance information Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/magicaldefrag/index System requirements: Windows 2000,...

reader to the rescue.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran The problem I have just opened the My Documents folder on my computerA-s hard disk and there are over 100 .IDX files with different names. I have tried deleting them but they reappear. Tortoise,...

Controlling copyright material.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Guy Clapperton Controlling copyright material DRM is not the first attempt to control content in terms of copyright material. Fortysomething readers will recall buying albums on vinyl whose inner sleeve carried the legend...

Licence to copy legally.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Guy Clapperton Licence to copy legally Some readers might have heard of a thing called GPL, or General Public License. This applies to software and is promoted by a group called GNU; you can find out more here: ...

Ways to make money from adverts.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Iain Thomson Ways to make money from adverts For those with their own websites who want to make money from adverts, there are plenty of ways to do it. Google Adsense (www.google.com/adsense/) will scan your web page and run...

Paying for the web.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Iain Thomson Paying for the web Advertising helps pay for the costs of running many web pages, yet sometimes it can be annoying. We show you how to take control of it in the last of our series on the web Advertising gets...

Win Shuttle products worth i?1/22,000.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Win Shuttle products worth over [pounds sterling]2,000! Sit back and enjoy home entertainment via a small form-factor computer So-called small form-factor computers are perfect for home entertainment...

Call for 999 internet access.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Call for 999 internet access Telecoms regulator Ofcom has said that people using internet telephony services to call landlines must be able to dial UK emergency services by 2008. Many providers of free calls...

Project goes paperless.(Eden Project)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Project goes paperless The Eden Project has become the first place in the UK to offer paperless ticketing, using mobile phones from start to finish. The Cornish attraction, which houses the largest greenhouses...

Monster musical is screened online.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Monster musical is screened online A romantic drama based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has been credited as the first musical to be streamed live in an online world. Users of digital world Second Life were able to...

Ofcom demands faster switch Consumers should be able to transfer their mobile phone numbers to an alternative network within hours, communications regulator Ofcom has demanded. From 1 April 2008, it wants all mobile service providers to transfer numbers n.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Ofcom demands faster switch Consumers should be able to transfer their mobile phone numbers to an alternative network within hours, communications regulator Ofcom has demanded. From 1 April 2008, it wants all...

Greener disks Western Digital has launched a range of environmentally-friendly hard disks, promising power savings of up to 40 per cent. The Greenpower range encompasses products for the desktop, enterprise and consumer electronics markets, offering capac.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Greener disks Western Digital has launched a range of environmentally-friendly hard disks, promising power savings of up to 40 per cent. The Greenpower range encompasses products for the desktop, enterprise and consumer...

Book your doctor via TV.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Book your doctor via TV Thousands of people across the UK can now book a doctor's appointment using their digital TV. The service has been made available around the country following the success of a pilot...

Children on track.(Blue Tree Services' Blueranger GPS tracking device)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Children on track A GPS-based child tracking device aimed at the 'back to school' market has gone on sale. Blue Tree Services is offering continuous location monitoring via the lightweight Blueranger GPS tracking...

Specialist safety software.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Specialist safety software A team of clinical psychologists claims to have designed internet safety and parental control software that allows for more secure and productive surfing. The Responsible Surfing web...

Tate uploads media archive The Tate Gallery has put a range of rare film and audio files from its archives online. The museum has teamed up with BT to digitise the original formats so people can watch or listen to a range of artists and cultural figures f.
August 9, 2007... Byline: andrea vassou Tate uploads media archive The Tate Gallery has put a range of rare film and audio files from its archives online. The museum has teamed up with BT to digitise the original formats so people can watch or...

Lights on for Blu-ray A joint venture company formed by Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions has announced plans to cut the price of its internal Lite-On Blu-ray Disc Drive LH-2B1S in Europe. The company said that the move was prompted by the greater ava.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Lights on for Blu-ray A joint venture company formed by Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions has announced plans to cut the price of its internal Lite-On Blu-ray Disc Drive LH-2B1S in Europe. The company said...

Toshiba laptop battery recall Toshiba has recalled 10,000 Sony notebook batteries after warnings that they pose a potential fire risk. The global recall affects the Tecra AT and satellite A100 and Pro A100 models. This follows three separate fires in the.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Toshiba laptop battery recall Toshiba has recalled 10,000 Sony notebook batteries after warnings that they pose a potential fire risk. The global recall affects the Tecra AT and satellite A100 and Pro A100 models....

Free notebooks for new custom Customers who sign up to a two-year broadband connection with Orange through PC World, or with AOL through Carphone Warehouse, will be given a free notebook PC. PC World is giving customers a notebook worth a claimed i?1/2300 whe.
August 9, 2007... Byline: andrea vassou Free notebooks for new custom Customers who sign up to a two-year broadband connection with Orange through PC World, or with AOL through Carphone Warehouse, will be given a free notebook PC. PC World is giving...

Agency is DAB hand at traffic info.(Highways Agency launches Traffic Radio)(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: andrea vassou Agency is DAB hand at traffic info A new radio station dedicated to 24-hour-a-day traffic information has been launched by the Highways Agency. Traffic Radio is a government-funded digital radio service which...

Fingerprint plan slammed.(Brief article)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Fingerprint plan slammed MPs have slammed new guidance from Becta that shows schools can fingerprint pupils without first asking for parental permission. Guidelines from Becta, the Government's schools ICT...

Second-hand PCs betray family secrets.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Second-hand PCs betray family secrets Many second-hand PCs still contain enough personal data to be a security threat to the previous owner. An alarming experiment carried out by IT consultancy Navigant Consulting...

Windows Watch By the end of 2007 there will be more Windows PCs in the world than cars, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The company said it sold 40 million copies of Windows Vista in the 100 days after it launched earlier this year. But just w.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Windows Watch By the end of 2007 there will be more Windows PCs in the world than cars, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The company said it sold 40 million copies of Windows Vista in the 100 days after it...

Test clears phone masts A study to check the short-term effects of microwave radiation on people has cleared mobile phone masts of being the cause of health-related problems. The three-year study by the University of Essex found no unexplainable effects o.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dave Bailey Test clears phone masts A study to check the short-term effects of microwave radiation on people has cleared mobile phone masts of being the cause of health-related problems. The three-year study by the University...

Myspace bars sex offenders Myspace has admitted that the number of sex offenders it has kicked off its site currently runs at 29,000. This is a fourfold increase on figures given by the social networking site in May, when it reported it had identified the.
August 9, 2007... Byline: staff Myspace bars sex offenders Myspace has admitted that the number of sex offenders it has kicked off its site currently runs at 29,000. This is a fourfold increase on figures given by the social networking site in May, when...

Anger over EC TV decision.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Anger over EC TV decision A European Commission (EC) decision to adopt a single technology that can't yet be used in this country to broadcast mobile TV has thrown the UK industry into disarray. The decision by...

Screen solution.(Letter to the editor)
August 9, 2007... Byline: Ben Tudor Screen solution I've read a lot of letters in Computeractive about problems associated with using an LCD screen on a digital camera instead of the traditional viewfinder. It's possible to buy a fold-out shroud to...

Web base under threat from flooding.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek and Robert Jacques Web base under threat from flooding The UK could be heading for a national disaster if it doesn't take the risk of flooding to London more seriously and move vital internet infrastructure outside...

Hidden web threats intensify.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Hidden web threats intensify Email threats decline but malicious web content grows PCs are now more likely to be infected with malware from websites than by virus-spreading emails, Sophos claims. In its...

jargon.
August 9, 2007... Byline: Ben Tudor In the next issue... Discover the internet on your mobile You've heard the hype, but we're going to show you what a mobile phone really can do when you use it to connect to the internet. High definition...

Make your own right-click.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Make your own right-click menus If you're a fan of context menus in Windows read our Workshop and create your own right-click command lists Filemenu Tools is a free program that enables users with no...

Mail model.(WMHelp)(Brief article)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Mail model The Vista Mail database can occasionally become corrupt. One of the symptoms can be 'phantom' messages in the outbox that currently cannot be deleted. To deal with this problem, I rely on a small but...

Conserve energy with a power nap.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Conserve energy with a power nap In these days of economy of energy and recycling, it is a good idea to conserve energy on your computer. In Windows, this can be done using the Power Options panel. To find...

Clock stock.(Brief article)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Clock stock If you are travelling abroad, or if you have friends or family travelling abroad, it can be useful to know what the time is in other countries A- particularly when planning phone calls. Windows Vista...

Smart Start.(Brief article)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Smart Start Windows Vista's Start menu is highly configurable and gives a great deal of control over what appears in it. Right-click the Start orb, select Properties and then click the Customize button. Working...

Limit PC use with Vistai?1/2s Parental.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Limit PC use with Vista's Parental Controls Find out how Windows Vista's built-in tools can help control how and when children can use the computer Many parents are concerned about their child's computer...

Next issue.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Switch on Power Options in Vista Move an iTunes media library Protect files and folders with passwords Complete networking know-how Hints & Tips

The Sky's the limit for Tiscali.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek PROBLEM Sky's the limit for Tiscali On 6 September 2006 I moved to Sky Broadband from Tiscali after receiving my migration authorisation code (MAC) and cancelling my account. However, for the next six...

Packard Bell Maestro 220.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Clif Joseph Packard Bell Maestro 220 If you play games on your PC, try this glossy monitor for a visual treat With PCs being used more and more for entertainment, you're likely to find yourself watching a fair bit of video...

CMS ABSPlus.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph CMS ABSPlus Powerful but complex backup device External hard disks are useful for making backup copies of crucial files and documents. However, one hard disk is very much like another, and it's often the...

Acoustica Beat Craft.(Product/service evaluation)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Acoustica Beat Craft Create drum samples and tracks for all kinds of musical projects. The first task when creating a piece of music is usually setting up a drum track. Unless you have access to an electronic...

Sony Nav-U NV-U51G GPS.(Product/service evaluation)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Rob Jones Sony Nav-U NV-U51G GPS Good looks and clear instructions lift an otherwise average sat nav Sony may not be a name synonymous with satellite navigation, but the company's heritage as a TV manufacturer and its...

Olympus E-410.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Gavin Stoker Olympus E-410 The world's smallest digital SLR is upgraded Olympus made a splash at the tail end of last year with the announcement that its latest digital SLR A- the 10 megapixel E-400 A- would be the world's...

Mio DigiWalker C320.(Product/service evaluation)
August 23, 2007... Byline: Andrea-Marie Vassou Mio DigiWalker C320 Satellite navigation comes to a big screen near you It is no longer enough for a satellite navigator to get a person from A to B A- the devices must now also look good and make a...

Microsoft AutoRoute 2007 with GPS Locator.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Simon Williams Microsoft AutoRoute 2007 with GPS Locator The big daddy of route planning gets real-time updates AutoRoute is one of the oldest route-planning programs, having always been able to offer good coverage of the...

Overlord.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Overlord Want to be good at being bad? This could be the game for you In most fantasy action-adventure games, the player takes on the role of the hapless hero pitted against some evil force or another,...