Computer Act!ve articles from February 2009

Computer Act!ve archives from February 2009

Create and share a music compilation.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Create and share a music compilation The 8Tracks website makes it easy to create a list of songs and share it legally Of all the various free ways to listen to and share music that are available on the...

Get organised with a free scheduling service.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Get organised with a free scheduling service Use the Cozi website and software to keep track of what everyone in the family is up to Despite having home PCs and mobile phones in abundance, modern families...

Add a mirror effect to photos.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Add a mirror effect to photos Add a bit of pizzazz to photographs and logos with this free reflection-making website Although they've been used by designers for years, Apple popularised mirror-style...

Improve digital images using Splashup.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Gill Macguire Improve digital images using Splashup Want to know how to edit and amend photos easily? Discover a free online photo-editing tool Splashup is an easy-to-use, powerful photo-editing application that works...

Convert image files without leaving Windows Explorer.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Convert image files without leaving Windows Explorer Find out how to set up Windows Explorer so it can convert images There are plenty of ways to convert pictures from one type of file format to another --...

Create an RSS newspaper with TaBbloid.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Create an RSS newspaper with TaBbloid Reading feed items in a browser or dedicated reader program is all well and good, but if you have subscribed to a number of feeds that are updated frequently you are likely to...

how to Use Yahoo Pipes to combine two RSS feeds.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson how to Use Yahoo Pipes to combine two RSS feeds 1Head to http://pipes.yahoo.com, sign in using a Yahoo account and click the Create a Pipe button. Drag a couple of Fetch Feed modules from the Sources section into...

Best of the web.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Make music, apply some special effects to photos, learn how to cook and catch up with friends online Font Picker www.richardsprojects.co.uk/products/font-picker/ Choosing the right font for a project can be...

Readers to the rescue.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Readers to the rescue Q|I recently bought a Linksys KVM box to use two computers with the same keyboard, mouse and monitor. Unfortunately I bought it second-hand without a manual and don't know how to switch between...

Hiding and showing icons Q/In the Notification Area to the right of the Taskbar, there is (or should be) a pointer on which you can click to show or hide the icons placed there. Several times my pointer has disappeared, leaving me with the icons on dis.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Hiding and showing icons Q|In the Notification Area to the right of the Taskbar, there is (or should be) a pointer on which you can click to show or hide the icons placed there. Several times my pointer has...

Best of the web.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Find out more about Vista's successor and Mozart's Turkish Rondo is recreated on the phone Windows 7 First Look Microsoft has released a test version of Vista's successor, Windows 7. Tom Royal has installed it...

Downloads.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Recover deleted files, create photo collages and find out what's taking up space on your hard disk R-Studio This software can be used to recover files that have been deleted. It can read from disks used with...

Surf and protect.
February 5, 2009... Surf and protect Children love using PCs but they need to be protected from inappropriate material. Vista can help - we show you how For young children and teenagers, the internet is a great place to explore for researching school...

protect kids online.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... protect kids online Clicking on the Windows Vista Web Filter option offers a detailed set of controls to manage children's web surfing. The first option is to manually add websites that are specifically allowed, or to be blocked....

Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Edition.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey Encyclopaedia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Edition A great reference tool for kids but adults may still prefer using the web We've previously noted the apparently outdated nature of encyclopaedias on CD or DVD:...

Emtec Moviecube S800.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Cliff Joseph Emtec Moviecube S800 A hard disk that can record TV Multimedia hard disks have video connectors in addition to an ordinary USB port. These allow the user to connect the device to a television set to play music...

Slingcatcher.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Slingcatcher More box clever stuff from the sultans of Sling A couple of years ago, Sling Media surprised us with a nifty little device called the Slingbox, which was capable of beaming whatever was on your...

Vuzix iWear AV310 Widescreen.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Vuzix iWear AV310 Widescreen Have you always harboured a desire to look like a character from the 1990s incarnation of Star Trek? If so, the iWear AV310 is for you. This piece of eyewear houses a small screen...

Dell Inspiron Mini 12.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Mini-notebooks get bigger Dell stayed out of the growing mini-notebook market for some time, but at the end of 2008 the company unveiled its first model, the Inspiron Mini 9. ...

Blu-ray options.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Blu-ray options High-definition (HD) videos look brilliant, but they take up lots of storage space. Sadly this means standard DVD discs cannot hold an entire movie in high definition. To watch high-definition...

HDCP explained.(high-bandwidth digital content protection )(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley HDCP explained If you want to play Blu-ray movie discs using your PC, you need to be aware of high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP). HDCP was developed to prevent illegal copying of movies and is used on...

The big screen.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley The big screen For the best possible home cinema experience you'll need to invest in a projector. Search online for cheap projectors and you'll find many models for less than [pounds sterling]500, but you should...

Avanquest Driver Genius 8 Professional.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Avanquest Driver Genius 8 Professional A useful tool to backup your drivers So you have your Windows backup disc and safe copies of all important documents, which is everything needed to restore a computer in the...

Iqua 603 Sun.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Iqua 603 Sun The Iqua 603 Sun is, we're told, the first solar-powered Bluetooth headset. You might think this means the device has to be big enough to capture the light -- but it's not. It is compact and...

Samsung NV100HD.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Gavin Stoker Samsung NV100HD Touch the screen for high-quality pictures A 3in touch-sensitive screen on the back of a digital camera means that buttons and controls are kept to a minimum. In the case of Samsung's NV100HD,...

Cowon O2.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester Cowon O2 Music and video player with touch control Cowon's O2 is a portable music and video player with a 4.3in touch-sensitive display. The basic but tidy design is available in a range of colours and...

Take note.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Take note One Note is a handy tool for taking and organising notes about projects, academic work and more -- we show you how to get started We've all had call at some point to take down notes, and often this...

An alternative to a paper notepad.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... An alternative to a paper notepad If you still want to use One Note after the free trial but are not prepared to buy Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition, then there are a few free alternatives. Evernote www.evernote.com is one...

Get started with Linux.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Get started with Linux In the first part of our complete guide to Linux, we explain how to install a copy of Ubuntu Linux on your PC As the years go by, many computers start to slow down. One way to breathe new...

HOW TO Install Ubuntu by dividing the hard disk.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith HOW TO Install Ubuntu by dividing the hard disk 1 If you don't want to use Wubi, it's easy to split one hard disk into two parts: one for Windows, and one for Linux. Before starting, back up any essential files to an...

Asus N80Vc.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Asus N80Vc A computer for business and pleasure Computer maker Asus is fast becoming well-known among home users for its Eee PC range of mini-laptops but it's still making larger models such as the N80Vc....

Epson V300 Photo.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Epson V300 Photo Put slides and negatives onto your computer The Epson V300 is designed for paper and film scanning. It's a standard flatbed scanner, with a lid that's hinged at the side for documents to...

Prince of Persia.(Product/service evaluation)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Prince of Persia The light-footed legend makes a right royal return Info: www.snipurl.com/agtvv Pegi age rating: 12+ Also Consider: Tomb Raider: Underworld Overall: HHHHH Price: [pounds...

Games news.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Games news GTA V released this year? The next version of the car-crime game Grand Theft Auto may appear before Christmas, reports games trade magazine MCV. According to games industry sources the new...

Free online games.
February 5, 2009... Free online games Crayon Physics Deluxe The idea of Crayon Physics Deluxe is to roll the ball towards the star on the screen by drawing objects. Anything you draw will react in a realistic way, just as if it were a real-life object. It...

Best buys.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Entertainment pcs Liven up your living room with these media marvels 1 Shuttle D10 The D10's diminutive case means it can easily be slipped into a living room setup. The small front screen can be...

Showtime!
February 5, 2009... Showtime! Beat the winter blues by recreating the cinema experience in your living room With the credit crunch biting, dark evenings and terrible weather outside there's never been a better time to huddle down in front of the TV and...

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF acronis true image 10 personal.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF acronis true image 10 personal 1Download the program as shown above. You'll also need to get a serial number, as described above, before you try to install it, because you'll need...

Win 3D animation film making software from Reallusion.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Win 3D animation film making software from Reallusion Ten copies of iClone 3 Pro worth [pounds sterling]120 each to give away Computeractive has teamed up with Reallusion to give 10 readers the chance to win...

Upgrade to Acronis True Image Home 2009 The latest version of Acronis True Image Home speeds up the process by adding the ability to exclude particular files and folders. Archives can now be indexed by Windows Search, making it easy to find the file you n.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Upgrade to Acronis True Image Home 2009 The latest version of Acronis True Image Home speeds up the process by adding the ability to exclude particular files and folders. Archives can now be indexed by Windows Search, making it easy to find...

Acronis True Image 10 Personal.
February 5, 2009... Acronis True Image 10 Personal System requirements: Windows 2000, XP or Vista Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/acronis/index Registration: Required -- see below File size: 95MB Estimated download time:...

Better program switching.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Better program switching The normal method of quickly switching between programs in Windows XP is to hold down the Alt key and press the Tab button. However, when you do this there is not much information about...

Enjoy a flight simulation There is a basic flight simulator included in Google Earth (www.computeractive.co.uk/2144514) for those who want an alternative means of getting around. Either click on the Tools menu and select Enter Flight Simulator or press th.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Enjoy a flight simulation There is a basic flight simulator included in Google Earth (www.computeractive.co.uk/2144514) for those who want an alternative means of getting around. Either click on the Tools menu and...

Named range for mail merge When using a Microsoft Excel sheet as the basis for a mail merge it is possible to use a section of a worksheet, rather than the whole sheet. Select the range you want to use in Excel and look for the text box underneath the F.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Named range for mail merge When using a Microsoft Excel sheet as the basis for a mail merge it is possible to use a section of a worksheet, rather than the whole sheet. Select the range you want to use in Excel...

Extra addresses It is possible to add extra email addresses to a Google account so you can use them with Google Mail. Enter www.google.com/accounts into the address bar of your web browser, press Enter and log in with your normal Google login name and pas.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Extra addresses It is possible to add extra email addresses to a Google account so you can use them with Google Mail. Enter www.google.com/accounts into the address bar of your web browser, press Enter and log in with...

nlastminute puts gps listings on G1 Lastminute.com has created a program for the T-Mobile G1 mobile phone that tells people whati?1/2s going on in their area. Nru uses the built-in GPS chip in the handset to work out where customers are, then suggests restaur.
February 5, 2009... nlastminute puts gps listings on G1 Lastminute.com has created a program for the T-Mobile G1 mobile phone that tells people what's going on in their area. Nru uses the built-in GPS chip in the handset to work out where customers are, then...

GMX offers Lycos lifeline Lycos Europe is shutting its email service on 15 February. The internet company has struggled to attract users to the free web-based service in recent years. Latest figures show only 500,000 users use it regularly. Users can con.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek GMX offers Lycos lifeline Lycos Europe is shutting its email service on 15 February. The internet company has struggled to attract users to the free web-based service in recent years. Latest figures show only...

Robots teach programming.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Ian Thompson Robots teach programming Robots are being used to teach computer programming to schoolchildren. Wowwee robots by Q4 Technologies are used by hundreds of schools in the UK to help pupils develop...

Belkin sorry for fake posts.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Iain Thompson Belkin sorry for fake posts Belkin has apologised for hiring people to write fake reviews on consumer websites. A Belkin employee placed an advert on Amazon's Mechanical Turk jobs site asking for people to...

Lots of Linux options.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Lots of Linux options There are dozens of versions of Linux available, and in particular four different versions of Ubuntu. As well as the standard one we've used here there's Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Mythbuntu. The...

Phonepayplus and premium rate phone lines.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Phonepayplus and premium rate phone lines Premium rate phone lines generate enormous income for companies. They are used to sell goods and services and the cost is charged to phone bills and pre-pay phone accounts....

nchannels could join forces Ofcom has said that Channel 4 should have increased obligations to produce news and current affairs programmes while ITV should be relieved of some of its news duties. The plans set out in the regulatori?1/2s review of public servi.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek nchannels could join forces Ofcom has said that Channel 4 should have increased obligations to produce news and current affairs programmes while ITV should be relieved of some of its news duties. The plans set out...

Rules target mobile rip-offs.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Rules target mobile rip-offs phonePayplus has set new rules to stop premium rate subscription providers ripping off consumers. The regulator said the new rules would help it close down companies that breach...

Rise in complaints just i?1/2tip of icebergi?1/2.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Rise in complaints just 'tip of iceberg' Complaints about goods and services are rising according to Consumer Direct. The Government-funded advice service, managed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), said it...

Surfing risk i?1/2exaggeratedi?1/2.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Clive Akass Surfing risk 'exaggerated' Children surfing the web are at no greater risk than when they are offline, according to a US report. The Internet Safety Technical Task Force compiled the report from submissions...

Stop thief! Mobile phone security company UMU has developed an application that can block and track lost or stolen mobile phones. Stopthief notifies the owner if the Sim card is changed and will provide an exact location if the phone is Cell ID or GPS ena.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Stop thief! Mobile phone security company UMU has developed an application that can block and track lost or stolen mobile phones. Stopthief notifies the owner if the Sim card is changed and will provide an exact...

nmicrosoft adds music for mobiles Microsoft has added a music download service to its mobile website. MSN Mobile Music is available across all the UK mobile networks. It gives users access to a catalogue of 1million music tracks and 25,000 mobile phone.
February 5, 2009... nmicrosoft adds music for mobiles Microsoft has added a music download service to its mobile website. MSN Mobile Music is available across all the UK mobile networks. It gives users access to a catalogue of 1million music tracks and...

Cash prize for 3-millionth lot Auction site Ebid is giving a i?1/22,200 prize to the seller who lists the three-millionth item on its site. This is not the first time the site, which works in the same way as Ebay, has rewarded its customers. In December it.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Cash prize for 3-millionth lot Auction site Ebid is giving a [pounds sterling]2,200 prize to the seller who lists the three-millionth item on its site. This is not the first time the site, which works in the...

Rip-off firms face trade ban.
February 5, 2009... Byline: DInah Greek Rip-off firms face trade ban UK consumers could be allowed to take out a criminal prosecution against businesses that rip them off under proposed changes to the Unfair Commercial Practices (UCP) directive. The...

Head of Ofcom backs universal broadband.
February 5, 2009... Head of Ofcom backs universal broadband The new head of Ofcom, Dr Collette Bowe, has signalled her backing for a national system to ensure broadband access is available at affordable prices for anyone who wants it. If this is...

ndrive-by downloads on rise The problem of websites being infected with malicious code continues to worsen. Nearly three quarters of the top 100 sites on the web host malicious code or redirect users to malicious sites, said security firm Websense. The co.
February 5, 2009... Byline: staff ndrive-by downloads on rise The problem of websites being infected with malicious code continues to worsen. Nearly three quarters of the top 100 sites on the web host malicious code or redirect users to malicious sites,...

Get to grips with mobile technology.(Brief article)
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Get to grips with mobile technology Advances in technology and easy access to the internet mean it is simpler than ever to travel 'light' yet still work or play online. The latest issue in our Ultimate Guide...

Windows Watch One of the frustrations of a clean install of Vista was that unless you had a copy of Word, there was no way to edit Word documents. Wordpad in Windows XP could open and save Word documents, even if it lacked advanced editing features. Accor.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Windows Watch One of the frustrations of a clean install of Vista was that unless you had a copy of Word, there was no way to edit Word documents. Wordpad in Windows XP could open and save Word documents, even if it...

Child database launches.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek and Andrea Vassou Child database launches Nearly a year after it was due to be implemented, a database containing the details of every child in the UK has launched despite safety concerns. Contactpoint is...

USB key infections set to rise.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek USB key infections set to rise Experts warn of increasing security threat Security experts expect a huge increase in attacks on PCs launched from infected USB memory keys, hard disks and devices such as memory...

Child protection agency pays i?1/2170k for data.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Vassou Child protection agency pays [pounds sterling]170k for data The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is paying internet service providers (ISPs) thousands of pounds for information about...

npaypal signs up to key fob system Paypal has become the first UK firm to sign up to the Verisign Identity Protection two-factor authentication scheme designed to give consumers an extra layer of security when making online payments. The online payment fi.
February 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek npaypal signs up to key fob system Paypal has become the first UK firm to sign up to the Verisign Identity Protection two-factor authentication scheme designed to give consumers an extra layer of security when...

Readers to the rescue.(Brief article)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith readers to the rescue Q|My wife's Windows Vista notebook has started asking for a password to quit the screensaver. Neither of us remember setting this or how to turn it off. Tom Rumble A|Right-click on an...

Mail merge problems Q/I have been having problems making address labels using Microsoft Excel and Outlook for mail merging. I followed your instructions in Issue 229 to create a database but have since moved to Office 2000 and cannot find the mail merge f.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Mail merge problems Q|I have been having problems making address labels using Microsoft Excel and Outlook for mail merging. I followed your instructions in Issue 229 to create a database but have since moved to...

Silence is golden.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Silence is golden Make computing more enjoyable by eliminating unwanted noise There are many potential annoyances when using a PC -- poor performance, an unstable internet connection and complicated...

Quiet laptops.(Brief article)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Quiet laptops Laptops are generally quieter than their desktop counterparts and the recent breed of smaller netbooks, such as the EeePC and Samsung NC10, are even quieter. This is largely thanks to the fact that...

how to Reduce fan noise with SpeedFan.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson how to Reduce fan noise with SpeedFan 1Download the latest version of Speedfan from www.snipurl.com/9xy8k, run through the installation process and then launch the program. After a short pause, the computer's...

Record any sound that Windows plays.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Wardley Record any sound that Windows plays This free utility can capture any sound and store it as an MP3 or Windows WAV file It used to be the case that any computer with a suitable duplex soundcard (one...

Prune web favourites quickly and easily.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Nick Peers Prune web favourites quickly and easily Removing duplicate entries from a bookmarks or favourites folder doesn't have to be a chore Any web surfer knows the importance of a bookmarks list -- instead of...

Improve digital images using Splashup.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Gill Macguire Improve digital images using Splashup We show how to edit photos and create art online using layers In the last issue of Computeractive we explored some of the basic functions of Splashup -- cropping,...

Jargon.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Upload photos, videos and files easily The Fire Uploader add-on for Firefox makes uploading quick and easy. Find out how to use it p36 Record any sound that Windows plays Discover how a free...

Upload photos, videos and files easily.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Upload photos, videos and files easily The Fire Uploader add-on for Firefox makes uploading quick and simple. Here's how to use it Many computer users now share information online, be it photos posted on...

Safe as houses.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Safe as houses Secure your home without spending a fortune with help from your PC While simple precautions such as locking windows and keeping lights on in the evening can help deter burglars from...

how to set up motion detection with Tincam.(Brief article)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley how to set up motion detection with Tincam 1Press Ctrl and S within Tincam to view the Setup menu and, under the Auto Capture section, make sure Motion Detection is selected. Now click on the Motion Detection menu...

Online advice.(Brief article)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Online advice There are a variety of resources online to help you deter thieves and protect your property. Here are five of the best: www.nsi.org.uk The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) website offers...

Kodak ESP7.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester Kodak ESP7 A printer and scanner for digital photographers A photo printer is an essential weapon in any digital photographer's armoury, and a multifunction device offers full colour printing, copying and...

Autosave Essentials.
February 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester Autosave Essentials Keep your important files and documents safe Autosave Essentials is a backup and restore program that'll help you create copies of data when needed or to a schedule. It takes a...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150.(Product/service evaluation)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Gavin Stoker Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150 This feature-packed compact camera punches above its weight Panasonic's Lumix FX150 is a pocket camera with hidden depths: the more we used it, the more features we found lurking...

Asus Eee PC S101.(Product/service evaluation)
February 19, 2009... Byline: Andrea-Marie Petrou Asus Eee PC S101 A sleek, small and sophisticated mini-notebook aimed at women After starting the mini-notebook trend with its Eee PC products, Asus has decided to take things a step further with the...