Computer Act!ve articles from June 2009

Computer Act!ve archives from June 2009

Fend off spyware.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Fend off spyware Safeguard personal information stored on your PC by finding and fighting the programs that secretly monitor your online activities Internet users quickly become familiar with viruses and...

how to USE Spybot Search and Destroy.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson how to USE Spybot Search and Destroy 1Install Spybot Search and Destroy, accepting the default settings, and then launch the program. Create a Registry backup when prompted and then check for and install program...

Enjoy the conversation.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey Enjoy the conversation Instant messaging isn't new but it's more popular than ever. Our back-to-basics guide explains all If you're a newcomer to the web then you may not have tried instant messaging yet....

InstantMessaging_walkthrough.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey how to SEND files using Trillian 1Strike up a chat with a contact in Trillian and, when ready to send a file, click the Send File button. Use the Windows Explorer File Open dialogue box to select the file. ...

Save and share stories from the web.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Save and share stories from the web Find out how a free tool can help you store and share snippets of information found on the web Browsing the internet can provide a wealth of information, and when links...

Intro.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Wardley Save and share interesting stories from the web Find out how a free program can help you store and share useful snippets of information found on the web p36 Manage your accounts with free Microsoft software ...

Manage your money with free software.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Paul Wardley Manage your money with free software Get started with Microsoft's free accounting application for small and start-up businesses One way of confronting the credit crunch is to start your own business, but...

Print documents using your mobile phone.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Print documents using your mobile phone With a mobile phone and email address, you can print, share and store documents via the internet Uploading files to the internet so that they can be downloaded later...

Add watermarks to Word documents.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Gill MacGuire Add watermarks to Word documents Insert text, images or logos as watermarks in Microsoft Word documents Watermarks are used to insert faint text or an image behind the content on a page. Because...

Kensington Notebook Expansion Dock with Video.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Andrew Zarkesh Kensington Notebook Expansion Dock with Video Connect your laptop to a desktop PC People sometimes prefer a desktop computer to a laptop for various reasons: the desktop PC may have a larger screen, or a...

Rescue your PC.(personal computer)(Technical report)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Rescue your PC When Windows won't start it can be hard to know what to do -- we explain, step by step, how to get it started again Problems such as programs not running properly or intermittent...

Last ditch efforts.(hard disk)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Last ditch efforts If all else fails, you may need to reinstall Windows -- for full instructions, see our online Masterclass at www.computeractive.co.uk/2242669. Remember, however, that doing this will remove...

Driving force.
June 11, 2009... Byline: James de Vile Driving force Computers are an integral part of the modern car -- we take a look at how they're changing the way we drive and what developers have planned for the road ahead In 1999, an emailed press release...

Diagnose car problems with a PC.(personal computer)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: James de Vile Diagnose car problems with a PC It's been a while since you could diagnose a car's faults by attacking the engine with a monkey wrench. Since the mid 1990s, almost all of a car's mechanical and electrical...

Bluetooth, and the blues and twos.
June 11, 2009... Byline: James de Vile Bluetooth, and the blues and twos In-car technology may be advancing at an impressive rate but as humans we're not evolving quite as quickly. So while carmakers develop new ways to interact with entertainment...

Canon EOS 50D.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Canon EOS 50D The EOS 50D is the successor to Canon's EOS 40D, competing directly with Nikon's D90 (www.computeractive.co.uk/2237028) -- both cost around [pounds sterling]1,000, with the 50D coming in a penny...

Samsung P2370.
June 11, 2009... Samsung P2370 Samsung's designers have clearly been taking some tips from the company's television department as the P2370 shares its superb looks with the company's televisions, rather than with the rather staid world of computer screen...

Teufel Decoderstation 5.
June 11, 2009... Teufel Decoderstation 5 Some homes now have several surround-sound devices, such as games consoles, Blu-ray players and computers. If you only have one set of surround speakers it can be hard to connect everything. A home cinema...

Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG10.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Gavin Stoker Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG10 Capture video and photos with one device Sanyo's Xacti models have always seemed like a fair compromise for those who didn't want to take both a camcorder and a stills camera on holiday....

Panasonic SDR-S15.(Product/service evaluation)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Gavin Stoker Panasonic SDR-S15 This pocket camcorder shoots straight to memory cards The ability to record video straight to a memory card rather than to tape or DVD, as Panasonic's new S15 does, gives a camcorder certain...

Sunbelt Vipre.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Cliff Joseph Sunbelt Vipre Protect your PC without slowing it down For full protection, anti-virus programs need to run all the time no matter what else the computer is doing, but leaving a program running constantly can...

Canon PIXMA MX330.(Product/service evaluation)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Simon Williams Canon PIXMA MX330 Print, scan and fax with this home-office device While the Pixma MX range of printer/scanners can be used to print photos, it's also useful for those who work from home or run a small...

Sandberg Sata Docking Station.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Sandberg Sata Docking Station Surprisingly often, we've found ourselves wanting to access an old hard disk. If your PC breaks down with the hard disk intact, you may want to get data off it by connecting it...

gadgets for dad.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran gadgets for dad From photo printing to owning a 'sports car', find your dad the ideal gift for Father's Day with our recommendations 1 Meccano Spykee Micro This little robot can be remotely...

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520.(Product/service evaluation)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Simon Crisp Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Mini UI 3520 Fujitsu's first attempt at a mini-notebook The Amilo Mini UI 3520 is Fujitsu Siemens's take on the mini-notebook, a cheap and cheerful cut-down laptop that's designed for web,...

Pick and mix.(Open Office 3)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Pick and mix It's quick and easy to customise and personalise your correspondence and templates using Open Office -- we show you how Open Office Writer is a great word processor, and we often recommend it as an...

Get Open Office.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Get Open Office Open Office is supplied with some computers, but if it's not installed on yours then don't worry: it is simple to download and install and won't cost you a penny. Start your internet browser and click...

how to Set up a mail merge.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith how to Set up a mail merge 1Click on the File menu, Wizards and then Address Data Source. Click on 'Other external data source, click on Next and then on the Settings button. Click in the dropdown menu labeled...

Clickfree HD Transformer.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Clickfree HD Transformer Turn any hard disk into a backup device We liked the original Clickfree product (see issue 281) which was a hard disk designed specifically for backup. It worked automatically --...

HP Pavilion DV2-1030ea.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran HP Pavilion DV2-1030ea Sleek, slim and capable of coping with most office and internet tasks The thin DV2 range of notebooks is an attempt by HP to create a computer that doesn't skimp on power but is...

Route info all in one place Directgov, the government information website, has a range of transport and traffic tools so travellers can plan the most effective route to their destination. People can access up-to-date information on traffic congestion, ac.
June 11, 2009... Route info all in one place Directgov, the government information website, has a range of transport and traffic tools so travellers can plan the most effective route to their destination. People can access up-to-date information...

Ofcom OKi?1/2s price comparison tool.(Office of Communications)(Billmonitor)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Ofcom OK's price comparison tool A price comparison site that helps consumers get cheaper mobile phone deals has been approved by Ofcom. The Billmonitor Price Comparison calculator has been awarded the Ofcom price accreditation scheme...

NHS in data deletion U-turn.(NHS Connecting for Health)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... NHS in data deletion U-turn The NHS has performed a U-turn over patients' rights to request that their medical records be deleted from the Summary Care Records (SCR) system. The NHS agency, Connecting for Health, said electronic...

Watchdog in call for ideas.(Consumer Focus Labs)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Watchdog in call for ideas Consumer Focus wants members of the public to contribute ideas for schemes that could ultimately get consumers better deals. The national consumer watchdog said its new online...

Paragon Disk Wiper 8.5 SE.
June 11, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Paragon Disk Wiper 8.5 SE System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista (not 64-bit) Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/wiper/index Registration: Follow the instructions during installation ...

Autorecover in Office 2007.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Autorecover in Office 2007 You can set Office to save work automatically in the background. Click on the Office button in the top left-hand corner of the Word window and then on Word Options. Click on the Save...

Hints prize.(8GB City Series Micro USB key)(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith WIN an 8GB USB key! The sender of the Tip of the Fortnight will win a 8GB City Series Micro USB key from PNY -- visit www.pny.co.uk for more information. The hint or tip should not exceed 100 words and should...

Bookmark bar.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Bookmark bar There are many ways to make the bookmark bar in Firefox easier to use. First make it visible by clicking on the View menu, Toolbars and then Bookmarks Toolbar. Adding bookmarks is very simple as you...

Import Windows Mail.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Import Windows Mail There is a tool that can import Windows Vista Mail folders to Thunderbird. In Mail, click on Tools, Options, Advanced, Maintenance and the Store Folder button. Go to www.snipurl.com/j72x8,...

Table formulas.(Brief article)
June 11, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Table formulas If you want to include a table with figures in a Word document, Word can do basic sums on the table for you. Create the table, then move the cursor to the bottom cell in the column that will...

Seagate Free Agent Theatre.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Cliff Joseph Seagate Free Agent Theatre Watch video direct from a hard disk -- no computer required Seagate's new Free Agent Theatre allows users to connect their hard disks to a television screen so that they can...

Get PC help from your fellow readers.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tom Royal Get PC help from your fellow readers Learn how to sign up and use our Readers to the Rescue forums If you have a problem with your computer, the chances are that other users have experienced the same thing....

Take control of ISP spam filtering.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Mark Wilson Take control of ISP spam filtering Check for legitimate emails that your internet service provider may have marked as spam If you've used email for any length of time you don't need telling that spam -- or...

workshop intro_and_jargon.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Get PC help from your fellow readers Learn how to sign up and use the Computeractive Readers to the Rescue forums p32 Take control of isp spam filtering Find out how to check for legitimate emails that your...

Stop other users hogging shared disk space.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Nick Peers Stop other users hogging shared disk space Discover how to allocate disk space fairly on a shared computer If you use a shared PC at home, you may find that it's not enough simply to give everyone their own...

Keep a private diary on the internet.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Keep a private diary on the internet Not all online diaries have to be public. Find out how to keep things private The internet is ideal for sharing and publicising ideas, opinions, products and services,...

Ofcom cuts complaint times.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Ofcom cuts complaint times Ofcom has cut the length of time consumers have to wait before they can take a complaint about a communications provider to arbitration. From 1 September consumers will be able to...

RTTR.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Readers to the rescue Q|I cannot open any attachments in emails, whether they are Wordpad files or PDFs. Even attachments that used to open won't and I don't know what caused the change. Midget52, Computeractive...

Rescue files using a disk caddy Q/In your article entitled Saved! in issue 294 you say that I will be able to rescue files from a hard disk by removing it from the computeri?1/2s case and placing it in a disk caddy to connect it to another computer. Some time.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith, Anthony Dhanendran Rescue files using a disk caddy Q|In your article entitled Saved! in issue 294 you say that I will be able to rescue files from a hard disk by removing it from the computer's case and placing it in...

Video reviews online.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Build an external hard disk, follow a Google adventure, pick up passport points and find a fish to fillet Make an external hard disk If you want to add extra storage to a computer without the hassle of opening...

downloads.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Let your inner musician loose, schedule emails, convert any file type and introduce tabs in Windows Konverter Finding out that a file is in an incompatible format is very frustrating. Konverter can convert...

WIn Norton 360 security software worth i?1/21,200.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith WIn Norton 360 security software worth [pounds sterling]1,200 Stay safe online without sacrificing performance A problem with security software is that the demands made on the computer slow everything else down....

Best of the web.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Grow herbs and learn about their background, understand design jargon and improve your typing Autodesk Project Dragonfly http://dragon.autodesk.com If you have a DIY project in mind, it is helpful to get an...

Apple iLife i?1/209.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Cliff Joseph Apple iLife '09 Some handy new tools in this upgrade to Apple's 'digital lifestyle' software Apple is getting ready for the launch of 'Snow Leopard', the latest big update to its OS X operating system (the Mac...

HTC Magic.(Product/service evaluation)
June 25, 2009... Byline: David Phelan HTC Magic A slimmer version of the 'Google phone' When T-Mobile released the G1, its first phone to use Google's Android operating system, it proved very popular. That touchscreen handset was made by HTC, and...

Get comfy.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lindsay Parish Jones Get comfy The guidelines employers use to keep workers safe from strain injuries apply to home users too -- we show you how to work comfortably If you use a computer at work, you will be aware of the...

Top tips.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Lindsay Parish Jones Top tips Monitor Keep your screen clean. Sprays are cheap and formulated for different monitors such as Maplin's computer screen cleaner ([pounds sterling]4.59 www.tinyurl.com/llsvsy). Adjust the...

Leyio.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Leyio Backup and share your photos and files The Leyio is a small, white device that looks a little like a bulbous portable music player, but it's really a storage unit. It contains 16GB of memory on...

Norton 360 version 3.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester Norton 360 version 3 Easy to use, efficient protection The last version of Norton 360 -- an all-round security program with tools to kill malicious software and back up your PC -- made great improvements to its...

Work wonders with Windows.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Work wonders with Windows Windows includes a hidden toolkit full of handy tweaks -- we show you how to use it Most people know that the Windows Control Panel is home to dozens of handy options, but few are...

Partition products.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Partition products Vista's Management Console allows you to split up a hard disk into multiple partitions and shrink existing partitions, but if you're using Windows XP you'll need an extra tool to make many...

How to disable an unused service.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley How to disable an unused service 1If you're sure that a service is no longer needed, perhaps because the item it relates to has been discarded, it can be disabled. Here we'll remove a service installed by a...

PC Specialist Fusion 955 Elite.(Product/service evaluation)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Simon Crisp PC Specialist Fusion 955 Elite Good value and powerful enough for gaming enthusiasts Despite the proliferation of cheap-and-cheerful mini-notebook computers there is still some demand for PCs that are a bit more...

MSI Wind U115.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Orestis Bastounis MSI Wind U115 Computers with long battery life don't come cheap MSI's original Wind U100 model was a great, good-value mini-notebook computer, thanks to its combination of a low-powered Intel Atom...

Where in the world?(using geographic information systems)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Ben Frain Where in the world? Today's gadgets record lots of information about where we've been and a PC can help you access it -- find out how There's an ever-growing number of online services based on knowing where...

the google streetmap controversy.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Ben Frain the google streetmap controversy Services that use and manipulate location information often create privacy concerns. However, few have been quite as contentious as Google's Street View. This service, accessible...

Youi?1/2re hired!
June 25, 2009... Byline: Andrea-Marie Petrou You're hired! Looking for a new job? Give yourself the edge over others with our guide to researching and applying for jobs using a computer Job hunting has moved on from the days when you had to trawl...

Beware of what you post online.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Andrea-Marie Petrou Beware of what you post online Although social-networking sites are a fun and helpful way to communicate with friends, they can also be a job disaster waiting to happen. In the past few years employers...

ISPs to boost UK broadband speeds.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek ISPs to boost UK broadband speeds Two more internet service providers (ISPs) have announced plans to boost customers' broadband speeds. BT said it will upgrade 549 exchanges to ADSL 2+. The upgrade to its 21CN...

page 8 - nibs.
June 25, 2009... Byline: staff nParliamentary place for pirate A Swedish political party made up of copyright reformers and privacy campaigners has won a seat in the European Parliament. The Pirate Party campaigned on a number of issues but its...

Web scams epidemic Web scams in the UK have reached epidemic levels, according to research from a card and identity theft protection company. The CPP said banking phishing emails remained the biggest problem but that other scams are growing just as fast,.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Web scams epidemic Web scams in the UK have reached epidemic levels, according to research from a card and identity theft protection company. The CPP said banking phishing emails remained the biggest problem...

Abelssoft Wash And Go 2008.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Abelssoft Wash And Go 2008 System requirements: Windows XP or Vista (32-bit) Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/wash/index Registration: Required -- see below File size: 22MB ...

Save i?1/210 on Wash And Go 2009 Upgrade to Wash And Go 2009 to get support for cleaning many more applications. New cleaning options include the ability to wipe program log files, there are useful cleaning reports, and it can schedule the process to run auto.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Save [pounds sterling]10 on Wash And Go 2009 Upgrade to Wash And Go 2009 to get support for cleaning many more applications. New cleaning options include the ability to wipe program log files, there are...

Free online games.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Free online games Super Stacker 2 Stacking games sound too obvious to be difficult -- you just have to stack the various objects as they're provided. But from a few simple cubes this one gets fiendishly...

Games preview.
June 25, 2009... Games preview the beatles and harry potter The games industry defied the recession, wheeling out the stars to promote new titles being released this year at its annual E3 trade show. Leading the pack were the two surviving Beatles,...

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF abelssoft wash and go 2008.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF abelssoft wash and go 2008 1Download and install the software. Once it has installed you will be able to start the program by double-clicking the yellow Wash and Go icon that...

Freeview boxes.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Freeview boxes Watch and record digital television programmes with a selection of the best Freeview boxes around 1 Tvonics MDR-250 This tiny digital receiver doesn't record, but it can be installed...

whati?1/2s in a warranty?
June 25, 2009... what's in a warranty? I bought a PC package with a year's warranty from a small local business, Computermanic, 11 months ago. The keyboard stopped working, so I went back to the shop to try to get it fixed. The shop assistant said the...

The Sims 3.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn The Sims 3 Simple, silly and seriously addictive -- it's Sims time again Info: www.thesims3.com Pegi age rating: 12+ Also Consider: Spore, The Sims 2 Overall: HHHHH Price: [pounds...

quick tips: Consumer rights clinic.
June 25, 2009... quick tips: Consumer rights clinic No more magazines I ordered an annual magazine subscription online. I have received two copies but want to cancel the subscription and get a full refund. Theresa Willis There are some...

Consumeractive.(Datakits )
June 25, 2009... Customer service I ordered PC goods online from a company called Datakits on 16 April for my stepdad. The money was taken from his bank account on 20 April. According to the website, the items should have been delivered by 24 April but it...

i?1/2Oldi?1/2 people ignore the web.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek 'Old' people ignore the web Ofcom HAs found that a significant proportion of people have no interest in having an internet connection, despite three-quarters of UK homes expected to be online by the end of the year....

Battery recycling hampered by lack of green knowledge.
June 25, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Battery recycling hampered by lack of green knowledge Poor public awareness of environmental law and initiatives will hamper obligatory battery recycling schemes, according to the European Recycling Platform (ERP)....

Hints and Tips 3.(Brief article)
June 25, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Sync with Google Calendar I use Google Calendar for my personal entries and want to merge it with my work diary, which is in Outlook. I used the Google Calendar Sync utility, which works with Outlook 2003 and 2007 on...