Computer Act!ve articles from December 2005

Computer Act!ve archives from December 2005

From the Editor.(Editorial)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Dylan Armbrust. As consumers, we spend millions of pounds every year on technology. It's fair to expect that the money we spend isn't just for the new gadgets and gizmos themselves - it's also for the after-sales service that comes...

Buyers need CD copy alert. Calls for CDs with copyright protection software to be clearly labelled for PC users.
December 8, 2005... A security expert has called for a simple 'traffic light' guide that shows if CDs install copyright protection software onto PCs. Greg Day, a security analyst at anti-virus company McAfee, said that the issue of copy protection software had...

Fears set to curb spending.
December 8, 2005... Internet security concerns are likely to have a detrimental effect on online shopping in the UK this Christmas, according to recent research conducted by the Business Software Alliance. The industry organisation reported that five out of six UK...

Price cuts for ISPs enable better service for consumers.
December 8, 2005... Cuts by BT in the wholesale prices charged to internet service providers (ISPs) are likely to lead to more people getting faster connections. Although these cuts for local loop unbundling (LLU) are substantial - falling from [pounds...

New centre to tackle abuse.
December 8, 2005... The new centre to tackle online child abuse will be operational in April next year, the Government has announced. The Home Office outlined details of the new unit at the EU/Virtual Global Taskforce Conference on Protecting Children Online...

ISPs take steps to regulate adware.
December 8, 2005... From next year, internet service providers such as Yahoo and AOL will refuse to promote software or services from companies that use spyware. The aim is to ensure that advertising software (adware) doesn't try and hide itself on people's...

Latest worm a sobering thought.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... If you get an email from the FBI, CIA, the NHTCU or the German law enforcement agency, the Bundeskriminalamt, claiming you are visiting "illegal websites", delete it. These emails contain a worm called Sober Y (or X or Z by some...

JARGON BUSTER - Techno babble demystified ... .(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... - GPS A way of pinpointing an exact location on the planet. - ISP A company that provides a web connection. - LLU Allowing other companies to install their own equipment in BT telephone exchanges. - Rootkit Software that hides...

Streetwise with GPS.(Navman Wireless new GPS device)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... A new GPS device from Navman includes a hard disk, allowing it to store information for the whole of Europe, without the need for extra memory cards or software. The iCN 550 includes a 4Gb hard disk with street-level maps for 16 countries. An...

Compact Iomega drives.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Iomega has widened its range of USB storage devices. The 4Gb, 6Gb and 8Gb Micro Mini hard disks weigh just 50g and are smaller than a credit card. Prices start at [pounds sterling]87 for the 4Gb. For people who want to do more with their data,...

A site for sore eyes.(AbilityNet)(website evaluation)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... A new initiative to rate web accessibility in the UK has been launched by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and disability charity AbilityNet. Sites will be assessed by the two organisations and a panel of web users with...

Rogue diallers at it again.
December 8, 2005... Companies running rogue diallers are exploiting loopholes in regulations to con consumers, warned Ofcom. The regulatory body now wants to extend the existing Controlled Premium Rate Services (CPRS) regulations to stamp this practice out....

Membership giveaway at eBid.
December 8, 2005... Ebay isn't the only online auction site out there, even though it can seem that way. Now rival eBid.co.uk, which claims to be the second largest auction site on the market, is giving away free lifetime Gold Memberships (worth [pounds...

Britons embracing a culture of fraud.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Dishonesty and fraud in the UK is growing, helped by the internet, new technologies and changing social attitudes. This was the conclusion of two studies; one by identity security company TSSI, and the other by fraud protection company...

JARGON BUSTER - Techno babble demystified ... .
December 8, 2005... - ISP Internet Service Provider. A company that provides you with an internet connection, usually for a monthly subscription. - Dial-up A component of Windows that allows PCs to connect to the internet using a modem and a telephone line....

High-capacity iPod batteries.
December 8, 2005... Sonnet Technologies has created a line of high-capacity batteries for iPods. The digital music players have long been criticised for their poor battery life. Sonnet's batteries can be used with all generations of iPods, as well as the iPod...

Customer satisfaction.
December 8, 2005... Following the recent demise of Tiny.com, a new online store is hoping to take its place in the market. ExciteIT has a wide range of products ranging from PCs to plugs and claims it will not skimp on customer service in order to keep the price...

New products from Snapfish.
December 8, 2005... Online photo service Snapfish has added additional products and services to its website. Web-to-mobile sharing, professional canvas prints and a selection of baby products are some of the new items. The web-to-mobile function takes account of...

Gaming tips for parents.(askaboutgames.com)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Parents concerned about unsuitable content that may be contained in video games their children play can get online advice and information from the games industry. In an attempt to combat what it believes is misinformation about the games...

Legal pressure grows on file-sharing sites.
December 8, 2005... File-sharing service BitTorrent has made a deal with Hollywood's major movie studios in a bid to stop people using the service to offer illegal copies of movies. As legal pressure on file-sharing sites grows, BitTorrent founder Bram Cohen...

The trials of school exams.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Schools around the country are being asked to participate in the next round of trials of electronic examinations for pupils. In Spring 2005, 45,000 school pupils took part in a pilot scheme that saw them complete an examination on screen...

JARGON BUSTER - Techno babble demystified ... .
December 8, 2005... - Broadband Refers to high-bandwidth internet connections, such as ADSL. - File sharing Swapping files with other people over the internet, using a service such as Kazaa. - Spreadsheets A software application for creating sheets of...

Apple offers Office rebate.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Apple is offering a rebate on half the cost of Microsoft Office when bought with a Mac computer. Anyone who bought an Apple desktop or notebook with Microsoft Office between 19 November 2005 and 31 January 2006 can apply for the cash-back. The...

Turtle time.
December 8, 2005... Franklin the Turtle: Triple Pack is a collection of three educational titles written for pre-school children. Franklin the Turtle Goes to School, Franklin the Turtle After School and Franklin the Turtle's Clubhouse Adventures use everyday...

Bulldog portal.(Bulldog Lounge)(entertainment portals)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Bulldog Lounge is a new entertainment portal for broadband users that is freely available to all, not just Bulldog subscribers. The site includes television clips with news from Associated Press, as well as music videos and movie trailers. The...

Parents in console control.
December 8, 2005... Manufacturers of game consoles have taken note of concerns over children playing violent video games and introduced parental controls. Sony has become the latest manufacturer to say it will incorporate parental controls in its latest...

Television on the web.
December 8, 2005... The controller of BBC Two has said he wants it to be the first mainstream TV channel to appear over broadband. With selected viewers already testing the download technology as part of the BBC's Integrated Media Player trial, it is expected...

Most wanted.(UK Most Wanted launched)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... An American-style website listing the UK's most wanted criminals is now online. Crimestoppers added the 'most wanted' list to its website last month, and despite some teething troubles, which saw it crash on its first day, it is now fully...

Trade-in movies.
December 8, 2005... A website that offers an alternative to buying or renting DVDs and video games has been launched by Swopex. The scheme doesn't use a straight swap format but the company claims people can trade items "for a fraction of the cost to rent or...

JARGON BUSTER - Techno babble demystified ... .
December 8, 2005... - Bluetooth A technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly. - Broadband Refers to high-bandwidth internet connections, such as ADSL. - Download Process of transferring files onto your PC directly from another computer. ...

Google space.
December 8, 2005... The search engine Google has set up Google Space, a cluster of notebook PCs with free access to certain Google features, in Heathrow's Terminal One. The zone will be open until 17 December, offering access to Google Mail, the mapping and...

It's criminal.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... The television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has been rapped by forensics experts for not being accurate when dealing with computers. Joel Tobias, managing director of UK-based forensic investigator CY4OR, said that CSI's detectives...

Consumeractive! - Get Some Answers! Consumeractive sticks up for your rights. If there's an issue you want investigated, get in touch.
December 8, 2005... PROBLEM - Pop goes the PC I bought a Medion PC from Aldi in August and have had nothing but trouble with it. There were no problems initially and it worked for about four hours. I installed a favourite database, address book and so on...

Cover Story - Beat rip-off Britain. Are you fed up with dodgy dealers, ropey goods and sub-standard customer service? Follow our guide to enforcing your consumer rights.(Cover story)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Paul Allen. Patience is a virtue, but even the most virtuous of us can be left foaming at the mouth when faced with some of the buck-passing, denial of responsibility and downright chicanery that seems to pass for customer service...

Hot New Products - Mesh Matrix Xtreme Immense. A sleek silver case, but are the contents as impressive?(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Mesh has come out with a sleek silver case for Christmas, and the first PC to go inside it is a cracker. It contains an AMD Athlon64 X 2 4400+ dual-core processor, and 1Gb of memory. The processor is both 64-bit...

Hot New Products - AG Neovo M-19. Not all TFT monitors look the same, especially if it's one from Neovo's multimedia range.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Simon Williams. You might think the design of a TFT monitor was pretty well established; a TFT panel on a stand, with a row of buttons underneath to control it. Neovo thinks differently. Its 19in M-19 monitor, available in black or...

Hot New Products - Microsoft Autoroute 2006. Find your way from A to B while on the move.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Autoroute's crown as the king of route-planning software was stolen a couple of years ago; firstly by the advent of free online mapping services, and then by handheld GPS devices. Microsoft has attempted to...

Hot New Products - Pinnacle Studio Plus 10. A home video-editing package that prepares you for high-definition TV.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Simon Williams. Editing home video is a popular pastime and Pinnacle is one of the best-known names in such software. Now owned by Avid, which sells applications for commercial TV and film editing, the new version of this consumer...

Hot New Products - Hi-Grade Notino C2400-1700. Small and light but lacking in the latest hardware.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. The HiGrade Notino C2400-1700 is a well-designed notebook that strikes a balance between portability and computing power for day-to-day tasks. At its heart is a 1.73GHz Pentium M processor, which is backed up by...

Hot New Products - Morphy Richards EPG DAB radio. A digital radio that works a little bit like Sky+.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Jacqueline Williams. Morphy Richards isn't a brand name we necessarily associate with digital radio innovation, but its Ordio EPG DAB may well change our expectations of radio sets. As the product's name suggests, it has an EPG...

Hot New Products - Microsoft Xbox 360. The most advanced games console ever - if you've got the hardware.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Luke Peters. The Xbox 360 is the first of a new breed of games consoles to be launched over the next 12 months. Sony and Nintendo have their own devices waiting in the shadows but it's Microsoft who has managed to get its 21st...

Hot New Products - Evesham V32ELCB. A very low price for such a large television.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Flat-panel LCD televisions are now starting to outsell old-fashioned CRTs, but be careful. Many of the cheaper models have sub-standard screen resolutions, don't support future formats, like HD, or don't come...

Hot New Products - Motorola Homesight. Monitor and protect your home against intruders.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Will Stapley. Motorola is attempting to bring computer-based home security to the masses with Homesight. The package consists of an access point, known as the system controller, and a wireless camera and wireless door sensor,...

Hot New Products - Commodore 64 Direct to TV Joystick.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Dinah Greek. Twenty years is a long time in computing and the games of today bear little resemblance to the ones we used to play. But amid all the new technology many of us hanker for a blast from the past; so it will probably...

Hot New Products - Wacom Graphire 4 Studio XL A5.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. The Wacom Graphire 4 Studio XL A5 is a graphics tablet for anyone who is serious about editing graphics. Unlike cheaper tablets it has a couple of buttons at the top of the pad and a scroll wheel, the lack of which is...

Hot New Products - Sanyo Xacti E6. A compact digital camera sporting a large screen.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Luke Peters. When choosing a digital camera, it's not always best to go for more megapixels. Other attributes such as sensor size, focal length and the quality of the optics all play a part in making a good camera. The Xacti E6...

Hot New Products - McAfee Wireless Home Network Security 2006. Protect a home wireless network from hackers and unauthorised access.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. McAfee Wireless Home Network Security takes the grind and worry out of making a wireless network safe. With an unsecure network other people can use your internet connection for free or even steal personal data. Wireless...

Hot New Products - Philips SPC 900NC.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Paul Allen. Video messaging is free using instant messaging applications, and Philips' latest webcam is aimed at those who want the best possible quality from such services. Many webcams can't be attached to TFT monitors or...

Hot New Products - Logitech DiNovo Laser.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Logitech's DiNovo is right at the top of the company's range of desktop sets. It's smart and stylish, with clean, neat lines and the keyboard is much smaller and slimmer than other wireless keyboards. Like...

Hot New Products - ZicPlay MiniKey 512Mb. A bulbous but compact music player.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. While portable music players may not yet be ten-a-penny, they're popular enough to be sold on the shelves of your local supermarket and it can be hard to distinguish one player from another. The MiniKey is...

On Test - Colour laser printers - Laser days. To print documents quickly you need a laser printer. But are the new breed of cheap colour lasers as versatile as their inkjet brethren?(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. If speed is the priority when printing, laser printers are hard to beat. Historically the cost of colour laser printing has been far too high for most home users but things are changing and they are now affordable enough...

Feature - Benchmark your PC - Test drive. Testing a PC's performance can help diagnose problems and highlight upgrade requirements. We show you how.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Have you ever wondered just how good your computer is compared with the latest and greatest, or perhaps your friends' and neighbours' computers? Here at Computeractive, when we review computers we subject them...

On Test - Sat-Nav devices - Streets ahead. If you could do with a bit of help finding places, satellite navigation might just be what you need. We compare the latest GPS devices.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn. Once upon a time, in-car satellite navigation was something you'd have only found on the dashboards of the most expensive luxury automobiles. But, like many technologies, GPS devices have plummeted in price and you...

Feature - Unexpected uses for USB keys - I'm all keyed up. A USB key has the potential for doing a lot more than storing data. We show you how to make the most of these tiny devices.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. Most of us are familiar with USB keys - the keyring-sized devices that can hold as much data as thousands of floppy disks. But their simplicity makes them suitable for more jobs than you'd expect. By adding a...

Digital home - Flat-panel TVs - Flat's the way to do it. Now within the financial reach of us ordinary folk, flat-panel TVs are all the rage.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Niall Magennis. If your old telly is on its last legs or you just fancy upgrading to a bigger screen, this Christmas may be a good time to invest in a big flat-panel television, especially as the World Cup is coming up in 2006. ...

On Test - CD-Roms - Time out. Our offerings this issue will help you make the most of your free time, from puzzle solving to creating a family tree.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James. With any luck, this time of year gives us a bit of time to ourselves. It's a great time to get back to those hobbies and interests that have been neglected for too long, and we've got five packages that cater for a...

On Test - Games - Quake 4. All you need to get the most from Quake 4 is a decent PC and a very strong stomach.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. Quake has become something of a gaming brand name, with iD Software's franchise (and its other notable series Doom) becoming synonymous over the years with the first-person shooter genre. This version runs as a...

On Test - Games - Moto GP URT 3.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. Motorbike racing has never quite achieved the glamour status of Formula One, and this is also true of the sport's computer gaming equivalents. Hopefully the excellent Moto GP URT3 will do something to restore the...

On Test - Games - Age of Empires 3.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Mike Anderiesz. Fans of the Age of Empires (AoE) series will know what to expect from this third release; bold, vivid graphics, lashings of historical detail and fun, if slightly shallow, gameplay. The latest version takes the...

On Test - Games - Everquest 2: Desert of Flames.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. Since its release at the end of 2004, online role-playing game Everquest 2 has become a global phenomenon, with thousands of followers. This add-on brings new worlds and creatures to the fray, as well as...

On Test - Games - Games Top 10. Here are the top 10 games according to the official UK Leisure Software chart. (C)ELSPA. Compiled by Chart Track.
December 8, 2005... 1. Football Manager 2006 [pounds sterling]35 (football management) Sega 2. Quake 4 [pounds sterling]45 (first-person shooter) Activision 3. F.E.A.R. [pounds sterling]30 (first-person shooter) Sierra 4. The Sims 2:...

Net Chart - FREE Downloads. We've trawled the internet to test what you can get for free ...(Energy Spy)(Winzip 10)(Follow the race)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 8, 2005... Winzip 10 www.computeractive.co.uk/2128706 Compress files to save space This new version of Winzip can now compress files further and has a new interface to make viewing compressed files easier. Type: Shareware File size:...

Net Chart - Site seeing ...(case studies on internat browsing)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Don't get lost when setting off for those Christmas visits - take a look at our directions sites www.streetmap.co.uk Streetmap is well known for finding places by postcode but there are many other search options available. It can...

No Problem! Q&A - Answers to ... PC problems. Our resident technical doctor is here to cure your PC ailments.
December 8, 2005... Netmeeting Q: I have recently upgraded my computer to Windows XP. On the old PC I used a program called NetMeeting, which allowed me to chat to other people on my home network. But it does not seem to be available on the new computer. Do...

Readers to the rescue ... Can you help your fellow readers? Do you need a problem solved? Join our forum dedicated to PC trouble-shooting at www.computeractive.co.uk.(internet services)
December 8, 2005... THE PROBLEM Every time I try to open a link in an email the PC bleeps a couple of times and the email stays closed. What is wrong? John, Computeractive forum YOUR ANSWER You could try repairing Internet Explorer. One of the...

Letters Your say! We want your opinions! Write to us on any of the topics covered in Computeractive.
December 8, 2005... STAR LETTER SNIPE GRIPE MISSES THE POINT Correspondent Roger Britton (issue 202) misunderstands how an auction sniper works. If everyone used sniping software, all their bids would be placed at the end of the auction and the...

Streets ahead.(using global positioning system)(Buyers guide)
December 8, 2005... Streets ahead If you could do with a bit of help finding places, satellite navigation might just be what you need. We compare the latest GPS devices Once upon a time, in-car satellite navigation was something you'd have only found on...

Copy and paste to create.(with Master Photobie)
December 8, 2005... Copy and paste to create photo collages Master Photobie's copy, cut and paste tools for the best results when editing your digital photos When tackling DIY projects, the best results are always obtained when using the right tools...

Upgrade your PC's.
December 8, 2005... Upgrade your PC's hard disk Replace an old hard disk on your computer, or add extra storage space with a second drive Storage space on PCs is something that seems to run out all too quickly, thanks to the ever-expanding sizes...

Automatically sort emails in.
December 8, 2005... Automatically sort emails in Outlook Express Outlook's Message Rules feature lets you sort incoming emails in a variety of ways Even though it's free, Microsoft's Outlook Express email application has one or two fancy tricks up...

Use compressed folders to.(saving space)
December 8, 2005... Use compressed folders to save space You don't need a separate program to create compressed files -- Windows XP has its own utility While there are a number of uses for compressed files -- email attachments, file backups and...

Moto GP URT 3.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson Moto GP URT 3 Motorbike racing has never quite achieved the glamour status of Formula One, and this is also true of the sport's computer gaming equivalents. Hopefully the excellent Moto GP URT3 will do something...

Age of Empires 3.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Mike Anderiesz Age of Empires 3 Fans of the Age of Empires (AoE) series will know what to expect from this third release; bold, vivid graphics, lashings of historical detail and fun, if slightly shallow, gameplay. The...

Flat's the way.(flat panel television)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Niall Magennis Flat's the way to do it Now within the financial reach of us ordinary folk, flat-panel TVs are all the rage If your old telly is on its last legs or you just fancy upgrading to a bigger screen, this...

Test.(testing a personal computer)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Test drive Testing a PC's performance can help diagnose problems and highlight upgrade requirements. We show you how Have you ever wondered just how good your computer is compared with the latest and...

Everquest 2: Desert of Flames.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson Everquest 2: Desert of Flames Since its release at the end of 2004, online role-playing game Everquest 2 has become a global phenomenon, with thousands of followers. This add-on brings new worlds and...

Family Tree Legends.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James Family Tree Legends Family Tree Legends is an affordable and easy-to-use program for creating, tracking and cataloguing family history. There is a wizard that guides you through the basics of creating a family tree...

Ultimate Puzzle Pack.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James Ultimate Puzzle Pack Ultimate Puzzle Pack is the perfect way to while away those long, cold evenings with a good puzzle or two. The package includes four programs that will keep you satisfied for a long time...

PhotoImpact XL SE.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James PhotoImpact XL SE Ulead's PhotoImpact has a good reputation as a solid image-editing program at an affordable price. This budget version costs just [pounds sterling]10, so it is potentially even better value for...

Myst IV: Revelation.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James Myst IV: Revelation Myst IV: Revelation is not a new game, but at this new budget price, it's certainly worth a second look if you missed it the first time around. If you have never experienced the Myst...

Teaching You DIY Skills.
December 8, 2005... Byline: Martin James Teaching You DIY Skills Most people have some time off at this time of year, and while it's a great time to relax after a stressful year, it's also ideal for doing some of those odd jobs around the house that have...

No Problem 204.(problems in mouse during use of Mozilla Firefox or Opera)(using bluetooth headset in chat on MSN Messenger)(installing NetMeeting on Windows XP)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith Anthony Dhanendran Netmeeting QI have recently upgraded my computer to Windows XP. On the old PC I used a program called NetMeeting, which allowed me to chat to other people on my home network. But it does...

Readers to the Rescue 204.(using spellcheck)(converting JPEG format to BMP )(repairing Internet Explorer)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran THE PROBLEM Every time I try to open a link in an email the PC bleeps a couple of times and the email stays closed. What is wrong? John, Computeractive forum YOUR ANSWER You could try repairing...

Laser days.(Buyers guide)
December 8, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith Laser days To print documents quickly you need a laser printer. But are the new breed of cheap colour lasers as versatile as their inkjet brethren? If speed is the priority when printing, laser printers are hard...