Computer Act!ve articles from February 2007

Computer Act!ve archives from February 2007

Windows Vista.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Windows Vista There are three versions of Vista for consumers -- which suits you? Vista, Microsoft's replacement for XP, has been many years in the making, but after all the hype and promises, it is finally...

Canon PowerShot G7.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Gavin Stoker Digital camera >> [pounds sterling]449 Canon Powershot G7 Great pictures and loads of advanced features Introduced as an upgrade to the G6, Canon's chunky and solidly built G7 looks and feels every inch...

Redten.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Internet service provider >> [pounds sterling]50 connection charge - [pounds sterling]20 monthly subscription for three years Redten One-of-a-kind free PC deal from a new internet service provider ...

Hammer time.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Hammer time We examine some high-tech tools designed to take the blood, sweat and tears out of home improvement Though it may be a while before tool manufacturers figure out a way to make a digital hammer, the...

Cluefinders Year 4 Adventures.(Product/service evaluation)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Cluefinders Year 4 Adventures One for younger gamers, Cluefinders Year 4 Adventures is subtitled Puzzle of the Pyramid. It is, in fact, a two-disc package including a second title called Mystery Mansion Arcade --...

Solitaire Games.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Solitaire Games Viewed from one perspective Solitaire Games is dreadfully presented, supremely unhelpful and appallingly dated. From another angle, this CD-Rom offers 100 serviceable variations on the card game...

Create your own Model Railway Deluxe.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Create your own Model Railway Deluxe Time was when every lad wanted to grow up to be a train driver. The Hornby heyday may be long gone, but there are still people who get pleasure from model railways. Create...

Ultimate Mahjongg 5.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Ultimate Mahjongg 5 If you have yet to play the Chinese game mahjongg then Ultimate Mahjongg 5 offers a great introduction. This CD-Rom includes dozens of different ways to play the classic tile-pairing game, from...

Make Windows XP look like Vista.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Make Windows XP look like Vista Get the feel of Windows Vista without upgrading. Find out how the sidebar feature can be added to Windows XP The computing world is currently ablaze with talk of Windows...

Right highlights.(highlighting in Microsoft Word)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Right highlights In Microsoft Word, if you need to highlight one piece of text in the document, sometimes it can be difficult to select a piece of text without the highlight area spreading to cover more than you...

Quick on the draw.(drawing in Microsoft Word)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Quick on the draw When drawing in Word, try holding down the Shift key while dragging out a line -- it will 'snap' to the nearest 15-degree angle. For example, if you want a perfectly vertical line, hold the Shift...

It's a wrap.(Using Excel)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey It's a wrap When entering lots of data into a cell in Excel, it can be annoying to press Enter and see the application create a single, straight line of text. A solution is found in Excel's ability to 'wrap'...

The weakest hyperlink.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey The weakest hyperlink When graphics, texts or web links are copied from a web page into Word, they may be pasted as unwanted hyperlinks. To remove these, move the pointer onto the text or graphic and click the...

Make an electronic multimedia story.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Make an electronic multimedia story Bring digital photos to life by adding background music and narration to create unique electronic stories If you have a growing collection of digital photos, it's...

Generate hardware reports for technical support.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Generate hardware reports for technical support Gather technical information that makes it easier to fix a faulty PC quickly using free software A PC's hard disk quickly gets filled with stuff and this can...

Check for Windows Vista capability.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Check for Windows Vista compatibility Use a free testing program to find out whether your PC is able to run Microsoft's Windows Vista properly Vista is the first new version of Windows for more than five...

Add media controls to the Windows Taskbar.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Add media controls to the Windows Taskbar Find out how to add a toolbar to the Windows Taskbar for quick control of Windows Media Player Much of Windows Media Player's popularity can be put down to the...

Buried treasure.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Buried treasure There's a wealth of handy software on the Microsoft site that can make your life easier-- and it is all absolutely free. Here's how to get hold of the best downloads Think of Microsoft, and...

Windows Powertoys.(desktops tools)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Windows Powertoys PowerToys have long been enjoyed by fans of Windows, and we have already taken a look at a few of the tools that make up this collection. There are a number of other Powertoys available for...

Rock Xtreme SL Pro-TL60.(Product/service evaluation)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Simon Williams Rock Xtreme SL Pro-TL60 An impressive notebook for video, games and more, but it's not too portable Let's get one thing straight from the start -- this is no portable computer. Measuring almost half a metre...

Logitech diNovo Edge.(Product/service evaluation)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Keyboard >> [pounds sterling]150 Logitech Dinovo Edge New-style keyboard touted as 'world's most advanced' Logitech claims the Dinovo Edge is the world's most advanced keyboard. The technology that...

Sony NW-S706.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Portable media player >> [pounds sterling]180 Sony NW-S706 Style and sound quality that threatens to outperform the competition Sony has been kicking up a storm among discerning digital audio fans with its...

Grease-monkey gadgets.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Grease-monkey gadgets Not all DIY involves the home. Indeed, some odd people delight in getting mucky fingers while poking around at all those mysterious parts that chug away under car bonnets. Realistically, such mechanical...

Tuneup Utilities.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Stephen Copestake Utility software >> [pounds sterling]20 Tuneup Utilities 2007 There are 16 tools included in this package, organised into five sections. The old favourites remain from previous editions: system control...

Net Chart.(informative and entertaining blogs)(Website list)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran This issue we present our pick of interesting, informative and entertaining blogs www.recyclethis.co.uk A blog on the subject of recycling. How interesting can that be we hear you cry. Well, this is...

HP CD-DVD Tattoos.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Design software >> [pounds sterling]7 HP CD/DVD Tattoos Colour your discs Let's face it, when making a disc of pictures or a home video for your family, it doesn't feel right scrawling a label...

Incomedia Website X5.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Utility software >> [pounds sterling]50 Incomedia Website X5 Competitively priced website creation software It can take time to create a good-looking website, but one way around that is to use a...

Trendnet TEW-631BRP.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Wireless router >> [pounds sterling]130 Trendnet TEW-631BRP The poor speed of wireless networks compared with wired ones is set to change with the 802.11n standard. It hasn't been finalised yet, but this Trendnet...

Mobile Net Switch.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Alan Stevens Network software >> [pounds sterling]19 Mobile Net Switch It can be a tricky process changing a computer's network settings. Mobile Net Switch is one way to get around it. It works with any PC that runs...

Serif Panorama Plus 1.(Product/service evaluation)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles Serif Panorama Plus 1 Quickly turn your digital photos into a panoramic image information Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/panoramaplus/index System requirements: Windows 98SE or later....

Onshare.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Utility software >> Free Onshare beta Share and chat securely In theory, file sharing is a very good way to let friends and colleagues access information that would normally be locked up on your...

ECS N8800GTX-768MX.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Emil Larsen Graphics card >> [pounds sterling]411 ECS N8800GTX-768MX Powerful card producings great video When whole computers cost less than [pounds sterling]400, what's the point of spending that much on a graphics...

Windows Vista.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Windows Vista Windows Vista may only just have been released, but there are already a number of programs for the new operating system that are well worth taking a look at. The new Windows Sidebar feature can be customised by adding...

The Office.
February 8, 2007... The Office You'll find loads of exciting features in the new version of Microsoft's Office software. Find out if it's worth upgrading immediately A lot has changed for Microsoft Office in the 15 years since it became a computing...

Cheapies.
February 8, 2007... Cheapies Staroffice 8 (http://www.sun.com/ software/star/staroffice/index.jsp) is basically Openoffice with a manual, for [pounds sterling]52.99 at Amazon. Ability Office is on sale as a Tesco's version at [pounds sterling]20....

Open source it.
February 8, 2007... Open source it The second part of our five-part series on Linux explains how to install software on Mandriva Linux to browse the web, send emails and more Mandriva Linux comes with many programs and tools installed as part of the...

Stolen identity.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Guy Clapperton Stolen identity Find out what identity theft entails, how to avoid falling victim to such schemes and what action to take if you do in our comprehensive guide to this growing crime Just about everybody has...

Who can help.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Guy Clapperton Who can help So you think your ID has been filched -- but where do you go for help? The first step is to contact the bank or credit card issuer that has processed a transaction you believe is fraudulent....

PROMOTIONAL OFFER.(Serif Panorama Plus 3)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles AA PROMOTIONAL OFFER UPGRADE TO SERIF PANORAMA PLUS 3 You can do a great deal more with the latest version of Panorama Plus. If your digital camera can take movie clips, Serif Panorama Plus 3 will turn these...

NEC MultiSync LCD175VXM+.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran LCD monitor >> [pounds sterling]155 NEC Multisync LCD 175VXM+ There isn't much to the LCD175VXM+ at first glance. It looks unobtrusive, with a round tilting base that is height-adjustable, and VGA, DVI...

No Problem 234.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith, Anthony Dhanendran Changing drives QI use an LG DVD writer in my PC, which can read and write DVD-Ram discs. Later this month I will be switching camps and getting an Apple iMac. Will I be able to take the DVD writer...

RTTR 234.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith The Problem Windows has reported that updates are ready for installation but it cannot install them because it says my copy of Windows is not genuine. The seller's response was don't bother with the updates and...

Linux forum for our website.
February 8, 2007... Linux forum on our website Our popular reader forums now include a dedicated section on the Linux operating system and open-source software in general. It's not just restricted to advanced users, either; beginners and those wondering about...

Win security software and aTV from Bullguard worth [pounds sterling]2,100.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Win security software and aTV from Bullguard worth [pounds sterling]2,100 An all-in-one PC security application and a 37in high definition TV worth [pounds sterling]849 up for grabs Bullguard...

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade game.(Product/service evaluation)
February 8, 2007... World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade game It might burn a hole in your pocket but this is flaming great gaming With are eight million players signed up and massive media exposure it's clear that World of Warcraft (WoW) has...

Dark Age Of Camelot : Labyrinth Of The Minotaur.
February 8, 2007... Dark Age Of Camelot : Labyrinth Of The Minotaur With World Of Warcraft picking up players by the million, older online games such as Goa's Dark Age of Camelot have got their work cut out to hang on to their dwindling bands of dedicated...

Letters.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Ben Tudor Mouse in house Your feature in issue 232 entitled 'Who needs a mouse?' was more than appreciated. For some time I have experienced 'mouse' problems, such as the pointer freezing or wandering off in untold directions,...

Golden rules to avoid ID theft.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Ben Tudor Golden rules to avoid ID theft 1Do not give personal details to anyone who asks -- make sure you know who you are dealing with. 2 Use a cross-cut shredder on any personal documents such as bills and statements...

Google that library Google has reached an agreement with another library as it pushes forward its bid to create an online database of books from around the world. The company's recent agreement with the University of Texas Libraries will add more than on.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Google that library Google has reached an agreement with another library as it pushes forward its bid to create an online database of books from around the world. The company's recent agreement with the...

New horizons online for CBBC.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: staff New horizons online for CBBC The BBC plans to build a virtual world similar to Second Life, designed exclusively for children. CBBC, the broadcaster's channel for seven to 12-year-olds, said that it would allow...

Web toolbar talks back.(Interactive Media in Retail Group developing Isis Safe and Sound toolbar)(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Web toolbar talks back The Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) has developed a toolbar that could help disabled people navigate websites more easily. The majority of the world's websites fail to meet the...

Thieves target sat-nav kit.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Thieves target sat-nav kit Thieves are using personal data on satellite-navigation systems stolen from vehicles to burgle their owners' homes, police have warned. Over Christmas 2006 sales of sat-nav devices...

Donate old PCs to children in third world.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Donate old PCs to children in third world People who received a PC this Christmas are being urged to donate their old one to help school children in developing countries. UK charity Computer Aid International...

Skype outlines price changes Skype has announced new costs for its Skypeout service. The price changes are the latest in a series of steps Skype is taking, which it claims will give the public a choice of packages. A new premium subscription package (Sky.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Skype outlines price changes Skype has announced new costs for its Skypeout service. The price changes are the latest in a series of steps Skype is taking, which it claims will give the public a choice of...

Google adds video search Google is integrating items from Youtube into its video search results, as it starts to build a comprehensive video search and content platform. Building a video search engine is challenging because movies cannot be indexed and r.
February 8, 2007... Byline: staff Google adds video search Google is integrating items from Youtube into its video search results, as it starts to build a comprehensive video search and content platform. Building a video search engine is challenging...

Disabled left in the cold.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Disabled left in the cold The websites of the big utility companies are not switched on in the accessibility stakes, according to Abilitynet. The national technology and disability charity tested the websites...

Roxio bundles up products Roxio has rolled four digital media software releases into one package. The Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite, which costs [pounds sterling]90, combines a range of music, photo, and video applications aimed at helping users make the most o.(Brief article)
February 8, 2007... Byline: andrea vassou Roxio bundles up products Roxio has rolled four digital media software releases into one package. The Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe Suite, which costs [pounds sterling]90, combines a range of music, photo, and...

Canon shot Canon has added two new models to its Powershot range. Replacing the entry-level model, the A460 has a five- megapixel camera, 4x optical zoom and a 2in LCD, but keeps the same 'point and shoot' method as its predecessor. The A550 comes with 7.
February 8, 2007... Byline: staff Canon shot Canon has added two new models to its Powershot range. Replacing the entry-level model, the A460 has a five- megapixel camera, 4x optical zoom and a 2in LCD, but keeps the same 'point and shoot' method as its...

Majority baffled by digital switchover.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou, Dinah Greek Majority baffled by digital switchover Consumers are still confused about what they will have to do when their region switches over to digital television, according to Uswitch. A survey of 2,345...

Cops call for e-crime bureau.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Cops call for e-crime bureau Calls for a new national centre to tackle internet-based crimes are growing stronger, as the situation threatens to overwhelm the authorities. A report on electronic crime (e-crime)...

Vista compliance Users of AVG's popular Firewall and Anti-spyware programs are being warned that they are not yet Vista compatible. While other elements of AVG's security software are Vista compliant, such as its anti-virus and anti-spam, the firewall an.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Vista compliance Users of AVG's popular Firewall and Anti-spyware programs are being warned that they are not yet Vista compatible. While other elements of AVG's security software are Vista compliant, such as...

p7 nibs.
February 8, 2007... Palmtops for Scottish pupils Almost 60,000 schoolchildren across the Lothians are to be given handheld PCs in a bid to boost learning. All pupils over the age of 10 in selected schools will be given the devices, as will some 6,000...

AVG users who don't upgrade will be left in limbo.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran AVG users who don't upgrade will be left in limbo AVG believes that about 20 million users of its free anti-virus software will lose their protection on 18 February because they have not downloaded the next...

Floppy falls at final hurdle The floppy disk has fallen out of favour after more than 30 years of faithful service. UK retailer PC World said it will not restock the storage medium when its supplies run out. IBM introduced the first floppy disk in 1969,.
February 8, 2007... Byline: staff Floppy falls at final hurdle The floppy disk has fallen out of favour after more than 30 years of faithful service. UK retailer PC World said it will not restock the storage medium when its supplies run out. IBM...

GPs slam web review plan.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran GPs slam web review plan Doctors have criticised government plans to allow the public to post online reviews of medical care as a gimmick. When the new NHS Choice website goes live this summer, part of...

ISO ends cartridge confusion.
February 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek ISO ends cartridge confusion Printer manufacturers bow to OFT criticism with introduction of new standard Consumers can judge the cost of printing thanks to a new international standard for cartridge...

Microsoft vilified over price of Vista.
February 8, 2007... Byline: ANthony Dhanendran Microsoft vilified over price of Vista Microsoft has come under fire from British consumers about the price it is charging for Vista, the latest version of Windows. British customers will pay double the...

Hackers open Word 2000 Attackers have started exploiting a weakness in Microsoft's Word 2000 so they can remotely hijack PCs. The software giant is warning users that the program responsible could be delivered as an email attachment or file transfer. Othe.
February 8, 2007... Hackers open Word 2000 Attackers have started exploiting a weakness in Microsoft's Word 2000 so they can remotely hijack PCs. The software giant is warning users that the program responsible could be delivered as an email attachment or...

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.(computer war game)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Eddie Henderson Warhammer: Mark of Chaos The Warhammer franchise has moved from table-top to video game format successfully, and last year's Dawn of War was an excellent title. Mark of Chaos is likely to be just as...

Guild Wars: Nightfall.(computer role playing games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Eddie Henderson Guild Wars: Nightfall The latest addition to the impressive Guild Wars franchise, Nightfall follows these previous incarnations by evading the subscription fee that other MMORPGs charge -- good news for gamers...

Dark Age Of Camelot : Labyrinth Of The Minotaur.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph Dark Age Of Camelot : Labyrinth Of The Minotaur With World Of Warcraft picking up players by the million, older online games such as Goa's Dark Age of Camelot have got their work cut out to hang on to their...

ADS Instant FM Music.(portable radio player)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou ADS Instant FM Music Record radio and transfer it straight to an iPod For many, listening to a radio show just the once is good enough. But what if you want to record a broadcast and listen to it on a...

Web Design Studio 2nd Edition.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Web Design Studio 2nd Edition It's easy to put a website together these days: just knock something up in Microsoft Word, save it as an HTML file and that's pretty much job done. However, if you're inclined to...

Pick and mix.(web site design)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Pick and mix Learn to design websites, speak French, travel the globe, manage a football team, and more This issue we've collected a truly diverse mix of CD-Rom reviews for you. We begin with Web Design Studio...

3D Globe Deluxe.(mapping software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey 3D Globe Deluxe A couple of years ago we might have marvelled at an application like 3D Globe Deluxe. This DVD-Rom program offers a three-dimensional view of Earth that can be freely navigated with the ability to...

Football Manager 2006.(computer sports games)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Football Manager 2006 If you love the minutiae of football management, you might fancy your chances at mastering Football Manager 2006. If not, steer clear. The fact is that the Football Manager series has a...

Jump Ahead French.(educational software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Jump Ahead French They say that it's best to learn languages at a young age. Well, such advice comes a bit late for most of the Computeractive team, but if you're the parent or guardian of a 5- to 8-year-old then...

Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast.(computer racing game)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast The original Outrun arcade machine was notable as much for its Ferrari-shaped, hydraulically powered cabinet as for the fast-paced road-racing game players enjoyed once in the driving...

Ableton Live 6.(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Eddie Henderson Ableton Live 6 New features aplenty in this fantastically versatile music software package Ableton is a music-making software package, with flexible tools that make it useful for all manner of creative...

Devolo dLAN 200 AVdesk.(Network adapters)(Product/service evaluation)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Luke Peters Devolo dLAN 200 AVdesk Stream HD video via home power-points Streaming video and music around the house is a great concept, however Wifi can be fickle and dislikes shifting big files such as high-definition...

A real character.(using Word and Excel)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey A real character If you regularly use accented letters or special symbols in the likes of Microsoft Word or Excel it can be a pain searching for the Windows Character Map. However, it is possible to create...

Itsy bitsy images.(using Microsoft Outlook Express for emailing digital photos)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Itsy-bitsy images Emailing full-size digital photos to family and friends who still have a dial-up internet connection can cause problems, as downloading can take too long. To limit such frustration Windows XP...

Photo facts.(digital photo information)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Photo facts Do you have photos with nothing written on the back, so you have no idea who is in it, or where or when it was taken? It's possible to 'write on the back' of your digital photos. Right-click on any...

Download clipart into.(Microsoft Word)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Download clipart into Microsoft Word Using Word and can't draw for toffee? Help yourself to a huge collection of free clipart from Microsoft Although PCs have made it easier than ever to produce...