Computer Act!ve articles from February 2005

Computer Act!ve archives from February 2005

From the editor.(Editorial)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Dylan Armbrust. This issue brings with it a special occasion. It's now seven years since Computeractive was born, and what a seven years it's been. From day one, Computeractive grew into the best-selling computer magazine ever...

Warranties finally reformed. Shake-up means more choice and better protection for consumers.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The government has finally rubber-stamped new rules governing the extended warranty market for electrical goods. Although severely criticised by the retail sector, the rule changes will come into force in April. They were due to be...

Telewest follows the trend for custom TV.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Telewest is to launch two initiatives this year designed to take advantage of the growing trend of viewers customising their TV and movie viewing. It will start offering personal video recorders (PVRs) embedded in digital set-top box. PVRs...

Check the index.
February 3, 2005... The electronic version of our index of Workshops, features and reviews for 2004 can now be downloaded free of charge from our website. If the type size used in the printed version is uncomfortable to read, you can view the index at a size that...

HP targets grey imports.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... HP is 'region coding' new printers, making imported cartridges incompatible with the devices. The cartridges have a chip coded with the region, which is read by software in the printers. A mismatch means the printer won't work. For...

Advertisers become high-streetwise.(Hypertag)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Retailers could soon be sending news of special offers straight to people's mobile phones, thanks to technology company Hypertag. After gaining a customer's permission, information embedded in a special sash worn by promotional staff, is...

Free email security.(Ciphire has developed email security software)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Consumers can choose yet another freebie from altruistic security firms. German company Ciphire has developed email security software, free to consumers, that is designed to work with popular email (including Outlook, Eudora and Mozilla),...

Jargon Buster. Techno babble demystified ...
February 3, 2005... Bluetooth: A technology that allows devices to communicate wirelessly. Firewall: Prevents unauthorised access to a PC over the internet. FireWire: A super-fast data link between your PC and external devices. Gb: A measure of hard...

24 heaven.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Popular TV show 24 is to have a special series filmed for mobile users, running alongside Series 4 on Sky One. 24: Conspiracy opens with the murder of a government official by a rogue agent. 24: Conspiracy is available now on Vodafone Live! 3G...

True colours.(Avery)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... For those who want more colourful labels, Avery's new afterBURNER inkjet DVD labels could be a bright idea. The labels have special tabs that mean there is no need to touch the adhesive at any stage, ensuring better contact with the DVD. As...

Label mate.(LaCie is releasing a dvd writer)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... LaCie is to release a DVD writer that can label discs after recording data on them. The LaCie D2 DVD+/-RW Double Layer drive can burn text and graphics onto the top surface of the discs using the same laser used to write data. The drive...

Threat of 'evil twin' attacks.(National Hi-Tech Crime Unit)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) has warned it is only a matter of time before criminals exploit weaknesses in wireless internet connections. An emerging threat is fake wireless networks that can steal personal data and Detective...

Must do better.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... In Europe, eGovernment has come a long way but more still needs to be done. This was the finding of a report by Topoftheweb, which was set up by the European Commission to look into the public use of eGovernment and if users are satisfied...

Pack your notebook in classic Italian designs.
February 3, 2005... Are you worried about someone stealing your notebook when you're out and about? Or maybe you just can't afford to splash out on one of those designer cases? These problems gave one company food for thought and it believes it has the recipe for...

Phishing nets more victims.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Phishing attacks targeting financial services firms reached an all-time high in December according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG). Attacks in which thousands of fake emails were sent rose by 10 per cent to 55 that month alone. The...

O2 adds Wi-Fi.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... O2 is the latest mobile operator to offer Wi-Fi capability with a mobile notebook card. It will offer high-speed data access in 6,000 hotspots to customers using its datacard. The 3G service currently works in 20 UK cities and offers national...

A good itch.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... ITCH Network (part of the British Computer Society) and national computing charity AbilityNet, have joined forces to provide more effective computing support to disabled people in the UK. ITCH is a network of volunteers who visit people in...

New training for police.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Reporting cybercrimes could become easier in future because of new training methods being planned for police officers. One of the major problems in dealing with cybercrime is that many police officers outside specialist units lack the...

Silver Surfers in the spotlight once more.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Put it in your diary now: this year's Silver Surfer's Day is held on 27 May. Research shows that half of over-50s have never used the internet, and 75 per cent of over-65s. The scheme aims to show them the benefits that new technology...

Jargon Buster. Techno babble demystified ...
February 3, 2005... Mbit/s: A measure of data-transfer speed. Network: A way of connecting several devices so they can share data. Phishing: A form of internet fraud that tries to trick users into revealing personal details. Plug-in: A small program...

Plug and safely play.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A company has claimed that its web browser plug-in can detect and block offensive images and pornographic material on the internet. The makers of iShield said barred images are automatically replaced with a neutral image. The plug-in is...

Solar charge.(Solio)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A solar-powered portable battery charger for gadgets has been developed by Solio. When open, three solar panels are extended to gather the most sunlight they can. The Solio can start recharging your iPod, mobile phone or most other portable...

Up to speed.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... A new faster home broadband product will be available from February 10, according to BT. The company has finished its trial of the Home2000 ADSL service, which offers speeds of up to 2Mbit/s, four times faster than the standard 512Kbit/s line....

Instant access.(LaCie has released a portable USB hard disk )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... LaCie has released a portable USB hard disk with the ability to plug into multi-standard TV sets for instant playback of stored movies, music or photos. The company is cashing in on the demand for digital data devices for people who don't own...

Download standards chaos.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Consumers will have to start checking that digital files they legally download will be able to play on the devices they own. In a move that could cause real confusion, Sony, Philips, Matsushita and Samsung have joined forces to develop...

Mutant virus spreads.(MyDoom virus )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The MyDoom virus is still causing havoc, with a new mutation spreading across the web. The new variant promises access to password-protected pornographic websites, and some infected emails masquerade as returned emails. Once running,...

Get your identity back.(Epoq Group)(Online identity theft recovery service)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... The Epoq Group has launched what is claimed to be the first online identity theft recovery service. With ID theft rising every year - up by 30 per cent in 2004 over the previous year - many people end up blacklisted by credit companies. It...

Record year for downloads.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Legal music downloads are storming the charts. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), legal downloads will double this year from the 200 million tracks in 2004. This in itself was 10 times as many as were...

Jargon Buster. Techno babble demystified ...(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Download: Process of transferring files onto your PC directly from the internet. Hackers: People who break into other people's computers and networks, often in an attempt to steal sensitive information. Virus: A malicious program...

Rotten Apples.
February 3, 2005... Users of Apple's iTunes should download the latest version of the software to prevent hacker attacks. Code that allows hackers to exploit a vulnerability in the software has been developed, and although this code contains no viruses, it shows...

New worm.
February 3, 2005... An as yet unnamed mass-mailer worm which appears as an alert from an IT security firm has been discovered. The infection comes in an email message with a spoofed 'from' field (support@ bitdefender.com), to prompt users to download harmful...

Consumeractive! - Get Some Answers! Consumeractive sticks up for your rights. If there's an issue you want investigated, get in touch.
February 3, 2005... PROBLEM - Replacement parts not up to scratch From August 2003 until November 2004, a notebook PC my daughter had bought from Evesham Technology in November 2002 had to have three replacement hard disks and a new motherboard installed. As...

Cover story - The remedy. Computers are highly complex and things can easily go wrong. We look at 50 of the most common problems and provide the answers.(Cover story)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. With computers, as with most things in life, knowledge is power. Arm yourself with a comprehensive knowledge of the workings of your PC and peripherals and you should be able to solve most common computer conundrums and...

Feature - Computeractive's birthday - Seventh heaven. We're seven years old this issue. Join us as we explore key happenings in the technology world over our lifetime.(Computer Active)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Scott Colvey. Jump in a time machine and nip back to 1997. Upon arriving, bestow an enormous budget upon a gathering of creatives and lock them away for a few months with a brief to do something that will capture the public's...

Hot New Products - Nethighstreet NetCA700. A very impressive home computer - feature-rich and affordable.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. It would seem that black is the new beige where computers are concerned and the Nethighstreet NetCA700 follows this trend with an imposing dark case. However, looks aren't everything and, thankfully, the NetCA700...

Hot New Products - Sony Ericsson V800. A new generation of mobile phone.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid. The Sony Ericsson V800 is one of the first handsets designed for use on Vodafone Live! - Vodafone's mobile phone portal for its 3G network. The handset has a clamshell design, which when opened up reveals a...

Hot New Products - Dell 540 Photo Printer. It uses a cheap method of photo printing but what about the image quality?(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Luke Peters. So here we have another dedicated photo printer, this time from Dell (it's actually designed by Kodak). The 540 looks like most of the other 6 x 4in printers we saw last year, namely the Epson PictureMate (issue 167)...

Hot New Products - Evesham Decimator. One of the most powerful PCs we have seen, with a price tag to match.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. With a name like Decimator, there's no doubting Evesham's intent for their latest PC. It's clearly aimed at games players, and is styled to match. It's bigger than a normal tower case and has a brushed metal...

Hot New Products - Paint Shop Pro 9. Versatile image-editing software than doesn't cost the Earth.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid. Paint Shop Pro is a less expensive, yet similarly powerful, alternative to Adobe Photoshop. This ninth edition has a number of new features that are aimed mostly at advanced users but there are practical tools too, such...

JARGON BUSTER. Techno babble demystified ...(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Network: A way of connecting devices so that they can share data. Operating system: Software that controls a PC, such as Windows XP. Parallel port: A single socket on the back of a PC typically used for connecting a printer or a...

Hot New Products - Navman ICN510 V3. Find your way, the easy way.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Will Stapley. If your journey times in the car are often doubled as a result of questionable map-reading skills, a satellite navigation system, such as the Navman ICN510 V3, could prove to be an invaluable investment. Operating...

Hot New Products - Serif PagePlus 10. Affordable desktop publishing with some novel features.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Andrew Zarkesh. In 1990, Page Plus became the first affordable desktop publisher for Windows. Fourteen years later, it may have fallen behind Microsoft Publisher but it's still a popular choice. PagePlus offers a large...

Hot New Products - Sarcophagus MsgSave. Back up your Outlook email messages.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. Despite the obvious importance of doing so, backing up emails is actually a rather tricky thing to do. Most programs keep emails hidden away in obscure folders and, even if you are able to locate these folders, it's...

Hot New Products - Medion MDPNA 100. Find your way about town with this GPS-enabled handheld computer.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid. If you're prone to getting lost on your travels, the Medion MDPNA is a handheld computer and GPS navigation device that will point you in the right direction. It uses the Microsoft Pocket PC operating system alongside...

Hot New Products - XFX GeForce 6600 GT.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid. The XFX GeForce 6600 GT is aimed at gamers who want great performance when running the latest games. It's one of the first AGP cards to feature nVidia's popular 6600 GT graphics technology, previously restricted to newer...

Hot New Products - Boost XP.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Will Stapley. Customising, enhancing and cleaning up the Windows XP operating system often involves endlessly searching through menu options and downloading various third-party applications. Boost XP aims to make the whole process...

Hot New Products - Miglia HarmonyExpress. An impressive and affordable external sound card fitted on a USB key.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Luke Peters. Thanks to the plug-and-play nature of USB, it's not always necessary to open up your computer to fit new pieces of hardware. External DVD drives, hard disks and even TV tuners can be ready to roll within a few minutes...

Hot New Products - Logitech Harmony H655.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Tim Smith. Remote controls are necessary in the sphere of home entertainment, with most people owning several and considering themselves advanced if they use more than a quarter of the buttons. The Logitech Harmony attempts to tidy...

Hot New Products - Jessops Fun Cam.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Luke Peters. Judging by the name of this camera, Jessops believe that taking pictures should be fun. However, for a camera that costs less than most memory cards, fun is about the only thing going for it. There are four...

Hot New Products - DESlock+. Keep your sensitive data safe and secure.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Rory Reid. If you have a lot of important information on your computer, one of the best ways of protecting it is by using a process known as data encryption, which temporarily turns files into unreadable gobbledygook. The...

Feature - Using the Windows Control Panel: part 2 - In the driving seat. Last issue, we revealed how mastering the Control Panel can enhance your PC know-how, now we'll show you how to boost performance further.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran. In the first part of this feature in issue 181, we looked at how the Control Panel can help you take control of Windows and make it work the way you want it to. To round off our tour of this important Windows...

Feature - Health on the web - ill advice. Forget that dusty encyclopedia of family medicine and turn to the web for health advice. We round up the best online resources.(www.nhsdirect.com)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Cliff Joseph. We have this friend who somehow managed to whack himself in the nose with a tennis racquet recently. It's easily done ('swing the racquet right round your body', they said), it's just that we - sorry, he - got the...

Feature - IT and education - Learning curve. We examine the extent to which information technology is now an everyday part of education.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Martin Courtney. With the exception of physical education, every lesson that British schoolchildren now attend relies on computers and information technology (IT) to aid the learning process. There are mixed opinions as to whether...

On Test - CD-Roms - Learn through play. Get the kids excited about learning with one of these educational CD-ROMs that are full of fun and adventure.
February 3, 2005... Byline: Martin James. We're all too willing to spend money on the latest gadgets and games for ourselves, but we often forget our young ones and their needs. Well, this issue we put the youngsters first with fun, educational programs...

On Test - Games - Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within. Warrior, warrior, come out to play!(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. Last year's Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was something of a revelation, harking back to the magical moments of the early Prince of Persia games, but with the kind of lavish presentation that we expect in...

On Test - Games - Spitfire FS 2002/04/CFS3.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. The Spitfire is one of the most fondly remembered British planes, so it's likely there'll be interest in this expansion pack from players who wouldn't normally touch a flight simulation with a barge pole. But...

On Test - Games - Ford Racing 3.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Byline: Eddie Henderson. After the completely indifferent response to the first two titles in this series, Ford and publisher Empire have somehow decided that the PC games market needs a third offering. Unfortunately, this is just as weak...

On Test - Games - Matrix: Online.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 3, 2005... Given the ridiculous amount of material the cinematic trilogy offered, it's criminal that there's never been a decent Matrix game - until now. This could be the title the fans have clamoured for - dripping with atmosphere, and packed with...

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.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... 1. Football Manager 2005 [pounds sterling]35 (football management) Sega 2. The Sims 2 [pounds sterling]40 (people management) EA Games 3. Lord of the Rings: Battle Middle-Earth [pounds sterling]35 (real-time strategy) EA...

Gadgets - Kitchen hand. Chips are always welcome when they are served up from the kitchen, but our selection from the kitchen-gadgets menu shows that computer chips can be tasty too.
February 3, 2005... FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS [pounds sterling]590 If you're a novice in the kitchen, or tend to burn your culinary experiments, you might be interested to hear that today's ovens are intelligent creatures. This one from Whirlpool offers three...

Net Chart - FREE Downloads. We've trawled the internet to test what you can get for free ...
February 3, 2005... CLIPMATE 6.5 www.computeractive.co.uk/download/100702 Give yourself an unlimited clipboard ClipMate stores everything you copy to the Windows clipboard, so that you can browse it later on and pick up any items you need. Type:...

Net Chart - Site seeing ... Now that the New Year is well and truly here, it's time to get those runaway finances back in line.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2005... Go to www.computeractive.co.uk to find quick links to all these featured websites www.fool.co.uk The Motley Fool can take you by the hand and lead you through the jungle of financial products, credit cards, loans, savings and...

Net Chart - site of the fortnight.
February 3, 2005... www.pocketcalculatorshow.com The Pocket Calculator Show is a nostalgia site for all kinds of electronic devices. It's divided into five categories - the 'nerd watches', the boombox, the Walkman, the calculator and musical gadgets. Each...

No Problem! Q&A - Answers to ... PC problems. Our resident technical doctor is here to cure your PC ailments.
February 3, 2005... Just the fax Q. I read your article about sending faxes from Windows XP, which I used to do when I had a dial-up connection with a modem. Is it possible to still send faxes now that I have upgraded to broadband? Alison Wrigglesworth,...

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.
February 3, 2005... THE PROBLEM Can anyone tell me what 'Cc' and 'Bcc' are in Outlook Express? What will they do to my mail when I send it? Chong Aik Chuah, issue 181 YOUR ANSWER Bcc means Blind Carbon Copy. You can send a copy of an email to...

Letters Your say! We want your opinions! Write to us on any of the topics covered in Computeractive.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2005... For the next two issues, the writer of our Star letter will receive a Western Digital 250Gb, USB 2 external hard disk, which is valued at [pounds sterling]174. This device provides instant additional storage for all your valuable digital...

From the editor.
February 17, 2005... Byline: Dylan Armbrust. Scambusting. It's not something we think we need to do every day. And you'd be right to think it's really a job best left to the police. Yet the sad fact of life for those connected to the internet,whether you like...

VAT man plugs tax loophole. Treasury reviews laws that allow offshore retailers to pass tax-free prices to customers.(value--added tax)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Canny shoppers who buy VAT-free goods such as CDs from online shops outside the UK could soon find themselves paying for the privilege. Online retailers are in the Government's firing line for giving consumers cheaper deals because of a...

Taxing issues.(value--added tax)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... A lot of readers are not clear about VAT rules and are concerned when they find they have been charged this tax. Companies selling to UK consumers have been obliged to charge VAT since July 2003 and be VAT registered for goods and services,...

Simply the end.(Simply Computers)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Simply Computers, whose parent company Systemax Europe axed more than 100 UK staff at the end of January, has said consumers will not lose out by the shake-up. The company moved the Simply operation from London to Wellingborough at the end of...

Microsoft to take on XP pirates.(Windows XP)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Users of Windows XP will soon have to prove they have genuine software if they want to receive software updates. Microsoft announced that from this month, its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) scheme, designed to crack down on pirate copies...

Net closes in on phishers.(Netscape Navigator)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... The new version of Netscape Navigator will come with a special feature to warn of potential phishing attacks. These attacks aim to steal information such as bank details or passwords and the number of attacks is expected to grow this year....

Ofcom investigates Gio for further breaches.(Gio Internet)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Gio Internet is facing an investigation by Ofcom, the UK communications regulator. The internet service provider (ISP) has already fallen foul of broadband supplier Netservices, which withdrew its broadband services because it said the...

Jargon Buster - Techno babble demystified.(computer related terms)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Beta: Version of an application or system still in development. Open source: Software developed and released free of charge. Operating system: Software that governs how hardware and software work together. Patch: A file that fixes...

Traffic report.(www.traffictv.co.uk)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Fed up with getting stuck in traffic? Help is at hand with TrafficTV, which informs motorists around the UK about traffic conditions on some 8,000 miles of road. With live updates, real-time photographs and full CCTV streaming, this...

Wizard scam.(hoax emails use Harry Potter to lure)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Spammers are using the Harry Potter books to direct people to websites that offer dodgy money-making schemes. Thousands of emails, claiming to show how to win a copy of the as-yet-unpublished book by JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood...

Open to abuse.(Eudora email program)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Popular open source software Eudora has "multiple high-risk vulnerabilities" according to a security firm. Next Generation Security Software (NGSS) said the Windows version of the popular Eudora email program had flaws that permitted hackers to...

Mozilla update.(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Mozilla is working on a fix for the Firefox flaw we reported on in issue 181. The flaw could enable hackers to conceal the location of a download. A representative of Mozilla told us that though the flaw is not severe, they are working on a...

Rogue diallers hanging up.(Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services )
February 17, 2005... Consumers need no longer fear hefty telephone bills from rogue diallers, ICSTIS has claimed. The watchdog for premium-rate telephone services said it had conquered the problem of rogue diallers that plagued dial-up users last year. ...

Get ready for the rise of the romantic robots.(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... The arrival of intelligent robots that can read, learn and even breed is a step closer. Kim Jong-hwan, a professor at South Korea's Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, unveiled software which he said creates 14 artificial chromosomes....

Driven to distraction.(United Kingdom. National Audit Office report)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Nearly one million incorrectly licensed cars drive on UK roads, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). A study into vehicle crime highlighted the failings of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) computer...

Image makers.(Epson RX620)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Epson claims that it has created the most versatile photo printer on the market. The RX620 has a built-in screen where images can be edited without a PC. The multifunction device can also scan printed photos, negatives, slides and read images...

European union.(co--operation among schools)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... Schools across the European Union can now improve relations via the internet. The concept of eTwinning uses the web to encourage contact between schools in different countries. Contact can take the form of webcam chats between pupils in which...

Young Einsteins.(www.patent.gov.uk/patent/info/cda.pdf, patents guide)(Brief Article)
February 17, 2005... The Patent Office has published a guide to help inventors market ideas without the risk of them being stolen. The Confidentiality and Confidential Disclosure Agreement keeps ideas private, protecting the right to patent. The advice explains how...