Computer Act!ve articles from March 2007

Computer Act!ve archives from March 2007

Buy and print postage stamps.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Buy and print postage stamps on the web Don't queue for stamps. Find out how to print your own, quickly and conveniently at home The Royal Mail service may offer a quick way to send things, but who...

Rename a number of files.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Rename a number of files at once Renaming files with Windows XP can be laborious but a free software tool can solve the problem Many people are slack when it comes to giving computer files a sensible name....

Task master.(Task Manager in Windows XP)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Task master In Windows XP, the Task Manager can be a very useful tool, allowing the user to see at a glance how much memory is being used, what processes are running, what users are logged on and so forth. Task...

screen screening.(Print Screen in Windows)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Screen screening In Windows, a press of the Print Screen (or PrtScn) button will place a copy of the entire screen into the Windows Clipboard, for pasting into whatever other application you wish. However, instead...

By extension.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey By extension In Microsoft Windows, the computer adds a three-character file-extension code to each new filename to identify the program required to re-open it. Microsoft Word documents, for example, have '.doc' as...

mighty right.(right-click menu)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Mighty right Computeractive often includes instructions to right-click on something. Even so, few people seem to appreciate the convenience of the right-click feature in Windows. In most software applications, a...

Edit and enhance digital.(Photofiltre)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Edit and enhance digital photos free Why buy image-editing software when there are free alternatives? Discover a simple and effective tool The results of digital photography endeavours occasionally leave a...

Access favourite websites.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Access favourite websites from any PC Put a USB memory key to good use by installing a portable browser and access bookmarks anywhere It is increasingly common for people to work with more than one...

next issue.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Discover Internet Explorer 7 Photo-sharing with Picasa Send very large email attachments Clear out unused files and folders Hints & Tips

Olympus E-400.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Gavin Stoker Olympus E-400 The world's smallest camera to have a swappable lens is a delight The budget digital SLR (D-SLR) market -- cameras for which the lens can be swapped to best suit the chosen subject -- is...

Canon Selphy ES1.(photo printer)(Product/service evaluation)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea-Marie Vassou Canon Selphy ES1 A combination of interesting design and novel features help make this photo printer fun and easy to use Fattening Canon's assortment of Selphy compact photo printers is the ES1; a...

Online backup services.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Online backup services If swapping CDs is not to your taste, online backup is a hassle-free way of keeping your files safe. An added advantage is that the files are then available from other computers. There are...

Safe & sound.(backing up files and documents)(Column)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Safe & sound It doesn't take long to ensure that all your documents are saved in case something happens to your PC. Here are some easy steps to follow No one likes losing their handiwork, whether it is a...

Share and share alike.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Share and share alike Don't hide your photos away on a memory card. There are several services that offer an easy, affordable way to share pictures with whomever you wish. We explain a bit more ...

Online safety.(pictures safe online)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Online safety Are my pictures safe online? That question has two meanings. First, there's the question of backup. If you upload all your pictures to a site then they can be retrieved if the computer loses...

Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T-500 Twice the TV viewing pleasure with Hauppauge's digital twin tuner TV tuners are great if you plan to turn your computer into an entertainment centre or personal video recorder...

T-Mobile Sidekick 3.
March 8, 2007... Byline: David Phelan T-Mobile Sidekick 3 A trendy phone with a built-in media player and handheld computer functions It's all, as they used to say in the television advert for Kerplunk, in the wrist action. The success of the...

Samsung YP-T9b.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Luke Peters Samsung YP-T9b On guard Apple, prepare yourself for a new challenger to the throne Once again, Apple is accountable for geek hysteria with the announcement of its multi-faceted iPhone, rumoured to be having its...

downloads.(Product/service evaluation)(Website list)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Avant Browser www.computeractive.co.uk/2128691 Alternative web browser It's based on Internet Explorer (IE), but Avant Browser adds several new features to revamp the staid old IE. Type:...

free download upgrade.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles The latest version of Ashampoo Office packs in even more features than its predecessor. The latest additions include Opendocument support and Textmaker, which opens password-protected Microsoft Word documents....

net chart.(Website list)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Site seeing... Google's Maps website can be tweaked by other sites to add useful information www.ononemap.com Recently revamped, this useful website displays properties available for sale or rent,...

free download tutorial.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles 1 Enter data into the spreadsheet, collecting it under the relevant rows and columns as shown in the image. Highlighting the chart data, head to the Object menu and select 'New Chart Frame'. 2 Choose from a...

Ashampoo Office 2005.(business application suites)(Product/service evaluation)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Chris Wiles Certain software titles, such as Microsoft Office, seem to be ubiquitous for no particular reason. Whereas most of us use Word to write letters and draft invoices, or Excel to track finances, most rarely touch the other...

net chart boxouts.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran tune in to Computeractive TV From now on, when you load up the main page of the Computeractive website, you will see a video playing in the top-right corner. This is Computeractive TV, our new venture...

Getting professional help.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Getting professional help Not every PC problem can be sorted out at home, especially those that are hardware related. The standard way of troubleshooting component failures is to swap suspected duds for items that...

Calling for support - a survival kit.(for maintaining personal computers)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Calling for support - a survival kit Manufacturers know that when a computer fault is reported it's far more likely to be caused by Windows or the programs installed on it than the hardware, so when you ring a...

Troubleshooting resources.(Website list)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Wardley Troubleshooting resources l www.computerhope.com -- Categorised and searchable help with hardware and software problems, computer dictionary and troubleshooting tips. l www.dougknox.com -- Doug Knox's site...

Burn Now 1.5SE.(CD/DVD creation software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Burn Now 1.5SE Most new PCs fitted with DVD-writer drives include at least basic DVD-creation software so the drives can be used for more than the simple file copying that Windows XP offers. For fancier...

Virtual Disc Drive.(hard disk drives)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Virtual Disc Drive The idea behind Virtual Disc Drive is simple but its effects could be significant if you play a lot of games. It eliminates the need to insert original program discs when running some...

Utility agility.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Utility agility Software utilities may not be exciting but they're still often worthy. We look at three PC tools on CD-Rom WINDOWS XP has dozens of built-in utilities, but it won't always have a tool for every...

Internet Security Suite.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Internet Security Suite Windows XP includes a serviceable firewall to protect against some online hazards, but for protection against viruses, spyware and spam (unsolicited email), extra software is needed. ...

A space to talk.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea-Marie Vassou A space to talk We explain what parents and guardians need to know about the social networking websites that are popular with teenagers Social networking websites have become a virtual playground for...

Quick off the mark.(maintenance of personal computers )
March 8, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph Quick off the mark PC start-up can be time-consuming and tedious. We show you how to fine-tune this process and avoid the long wait Start up your PC in the morning, and if it's more than a few weeks old,...

Tweak Windows 98 and ME.(Microsoft Windows Millennium)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Cliff Joseph Tweak Windows 98 and ME We've concentrated on PCs running Windows XP, as that's the version of Windows that most of us currently use. However, features such as the Notification Area (called the System Tray prior to...

Around the world on [pounds sterling]80.(online travel)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Sally Howard Around the world on [pounds sterling]80 Obviously, we can't get you around the world for as little as that, but we can show you how to trim pounds off your next holiday. Here's how to use your computer to get the...

Pure Digital Evoke-1 XT Special Edition.(digital radios)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Luke Peters Pure Digital Evoke-1 XT Special Edition Digital radios come in all shapes and sizes but few are as cool as Pure Digital's Special Edition Evoke-1 XT. The company has teamed up with amplifier maker Marshall to create...

Xcute DV2.(wireless telephone)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: David Phelan Xcute DV2 A high-res camera on a mobile phone Although the website selling the Xcute DV2 describes it as a 6-megapixel camera-phone, close scrutiny reveals that it is "6 megapixels (Actual 3 megapixels)"....

F-Secure Internet Security 2007.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran F-Secure Internet Security 2007 Software that offers all-round PC security There's a lot to like about F-Secure's security software. The interface is clean and clear and the software is easy to use....

Cyberlink Powerdirector 6.(video editing software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Ken McMahon Cyberlink Powerdirector 6 Powerdirector splits video-editing tasks into capturing, editing, production and distribution. Most work is done in the edit section, and the interface is well designed. Users have a...

Followus.(wireless telephone tracking software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Followus Followus will track a mobile phone anywhere in the country. The site will send a text message to the phone in question every so often to let the user know it's being tracked. It also requires the...

Netgear EVA700.(personal media players)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Netgear EVA700 Media streaming, with a couple of flaws Media streaming was the in thing a couple of years ago. The idea was that we'd all have piles of video and music on our PCs and want to watch them...

Dynamode 2-Port Auto KVM Switch.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Dynamode 2-Port Auto KVM Switch In our features about the Linux operating system we recommend using an older computer, rather than installing a second operating system onto one computer. The Dynamode 2-Port switch...

Garmin Nuvi 660.(global positioning system)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Paul Lester Garmin Nuvi 660 Full western European GPS mapping Price-wise, the Nuvi 660 is at the top of Garmin's big range of satellite navigation products, and it has the features to match. The unit is slim and...

Sony Playstation 3.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Sony Playstation 3 The trio of next-generation consoles is complete; will the PS3 be crowned king of gaming? Another month, another games console. Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3) has been hyped to hysteria and...

No Problem 236.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith, Anthony Dhanendran Lost webmail Q All of my emails have disappeared from my Hotmail account. There were 1,006, using about a fifth of the inbox capacity. The emails I marked as junk are still there but the inbox is...

How to monitor website activity.
March 8, 2007... How to monitor website activity The simplest way to police internet activity is physically, by placing the PC in a communal part of the house. If that's not desirable, it's possible to buy software that restricts the kinds of sites...

Keep your youngsters safe.(internet usage)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Keep your youngsters safe The following is good advice for all sorts of online activity, but particularly for Myspace. Given that it can be difficult to police children's internet use all the time, have a discussion about what they do...

Getting down to work.(Open Office)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson Getting down to work Linux is not all fun and games -- you can get loads of work done, too. The fourth in our series on Mandriva shows how Linux users benefit from one of the best office suites, Open...

Java and Open Office.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson Java and Open Office Open Office is supported by Sun, the developers of the programming language Java. Running programs written in Java requires software called the JRE (Java Runtime Environment). The main part of...

Microsoft documents.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Anderson Microsoft documents Microsoft Office 2007 has new default formats for its main programs, called Office Open XML (OOXML). These formats can be recognised by the 'x' appended to the file extension, such as .docx for...

Supreme Commander.(computer strategy game)(Product/service evaluation)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanedran Supreme Commander The futuristic epic makes an impressive comeback It was Dune 2 that started it off. The second game taken from Frank Herbert's sci-fi book was the first to make real-time strategy...

Play time.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Play time There are three new video games consoles on the market but what exactly do they offer and which one is best? We investigate If you own a PC, you may not see the point of a dedicated games console....

Alternatives to the main players.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Alternatives to the main players If you're not bothered with the latest games or high-definition films and just want an inexpensive family gaming console with plenty of cheap titles to choose from, then you...

Mandriva 2007 Powerpack.(linux operating system)(Product/service evaluation)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith Mandriva 2007 Powerpack Get more than the free version in this paid-for Linux offering Given the fuss people make about the Linux operating system being free, you'd be forgiven for wondering why we're looking at a...

Playing safe.(online travel services)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Playing safe Check if your online company will protect your holiday. Statutory schemes exist to protect your money and ensure that you'll be brought home if your travel company goes out of business. Look out for the Abta or Atol symbols on...

RTTR.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Smith The Problem I have a folder on a memory stick. If I select Properties it says there are 47 files and three folders (288KB). If I select the files and then properties there are 46 files, three folders (283KB). What is...

Next Issue.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Ben Tudor In the next issue... Win with Wifi Wifi is a cheap, effective way of linking your computers together at home. We show you how to install, secure and troubleshoot a wireless network. Put your video on the...

Nero 7 Reloaded.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Tim Sith Win Nero software, hardware and media worth over [pounds sterling]2,000! Create and share multimedia projects with Nero 7 Premium Reloaded With high capacity but low prices, CDs and DVDs are the future for copying...

Kids to design IT projects.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Kids to design IT projects Primary school children across the UK are being encouraged to enter a technology competition that will help benefit schools and local communities. The contest, called Made IT...

Online flights of fancy A UK version of a US-based travel website that searches flights without charging agents' fees has been launched. Kayak searches flights from more than 400 travel sites including British Airways, Alitalia, bmi and low-cost carriers.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Online flights of fancy A UK version of a US-based travel website that searches flights without charging agents' fees has been launched. Kayak searches flights from more than 400 travel sites including...

Lip-service to fight crime Researchers at the University of East Anglia are to develop computerised lip-reading systems that could tackle crime. During the three-year project, data will be collected and used to create a system that can convert video of li.(Keomo's Solar GPS Data logger)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: staff Lip-service to fight crime Researchers at the University of East Anglia are to develop computerised lip-reading systems that could tackle crime. During the three-year project, data will be collected and used to create a...

Government could harm social websites.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Government could harm social websites The Government could harm community websites by ignoring the good these sites do, said Tom Steinberg who set up Number 10's e-petitions website. Mr Steinberg is the...

Great War records hit web.(Ancestry.co.uk)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Byline: Dinah Greek Great War records hit web Documents detailing the personal experiences of millions of people who served in the First World War are being made available online. The Ancestry.co.uk, website has teamed up with The...

Win some and lose some Brickbats and bouquets were handed out at this year's Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) awards. Now in its ninth year, the annual awards honour the best services and slate the worst cases of abuse in the industry. Vivian.
March 8, 2007... Byline: Staff Win some and lose some Brickbats and bouquets were handed out at this year's Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) awards. Now in its ninth year, the annual awards honour the best services and slate the worst...

Hannspree HANNSz Elephant.(liquid crystal display)(Product/service evaluation)
March 15, 2007... Byline: Simon Williams Hannspree HANNSz.elephant Although not very hi-tech, this TV is a lot of fun On a list of ideas for a killer piece of technology, a novelty TV would probably not rank highly. Hannspree, however, makes a...

Elder Scrolls IV.(computer role playing game)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Eddie Henderson Elder Scrolls IV Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be many people's game of the year and the Knights of the Nine expansion pack offers one major new quest and a myriad of add-ons. It's an unmissable purchase for...

Refreshing feeling.(refreshing the screen when working in Microsoft Word)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Refreshing feeling When working in documents in Microsoft Word, sometimes the screen does not refresh properly and one or more lines of type appear with the some of the characters distorted or not fully showing. To...

Maximum effect.(windows to always open maximised)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Maximum effect If you would like windows to always open maximised -- fillling the whole screen -- when double-clicking a shortcut try the following. First, right-click on the shortcut you wish to open maximised...

hint3.(desktop utilities)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Tip for lazy foxes Ann Pratt's hint on highlighting text (Hints and Tips, issue 234) included a screenshot showing the 'quick brown fox' pangram repeated numerous times. Though test paragraphs such as this can be...

hint4.(formatting zeros displayed in Microsoft Excel)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Zero effort To stop zeros being displayed in Excel spreadsheets, select Options from the Tools menu. Click the View tab and, under Window options headings, click on the Zero values checkbox to remove the tick, then...

Disk Cleanup.(Free up hard disk space with)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Free up hard disk space with Disk Cleanup Even large hard disks can fill up. Find out how a tool built in to Windows XP can help free up some space Computer files have a habit of expanding to fit the...

Get started with Internet.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Mark Wilson Get started with Internet Explorer 7 Discover how the latest version of Internet Explorer enhances security and improves browsing Even though it remains the most-used web browser in the world, Internet...

Send large files over.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Send large files over the internet Size limits on email attachments can be frustrating. Find out how Pando can get round the problem Many internet service providers still limit the size of email...

Share digital photos online.(with Picasa)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Rob Beattie Share digital photos online with Picasa Google's photo-organising software offers plenty of free online storage for sharing albums with friends Picasa is a free tool offered by Google that allows digital...

workshop nxt issue.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Internet Explorer 7 masterclass Update your XP installation disc Send voicemail via instant messaging Monitor monthly bandwidth usage Hints & Tips

workshop intro.(using Internet Explorer 7.0 and Picasa)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Get started with Internet Explorer 7 Discover how the latest version of Internet Explorer enhances security and improves web browsing p40A Share digital photos online with Picasa Google's photo-organising...

Little Britain: The Video Game.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Mike Anderiesz Little Britain: The Video Game If you saw the cheap TV ads for this game, your expectations might be lowered, but let's settle the score upfront; it's rubbish. Based on the sketch show that gave us dozens of...

UFO: Afterlight.(computer strategy game)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Eddie Henderson UFO: Afterlight Be it Second World War Europe, modern-day Middle East, or the plains of Mars (as it is here) there are few concepts that game designers like more than territorial conflict. In UFO:...

Packard Bell Compasseo 500.(global position system receivers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Andrea Vassou Packard Bell Compasseo 500 A clear, fast route-planning device at a surprisingly low price Packard Bell and sat nav (satellite navigation) aren't words you'd usually find in the same sentence, but add a...

Nokia N800.
March 22, 2007... Byline: David Phelan Nokia N800 Nokia's latest handheld computer has wireless abilities as standard It's rare for Nokia to make a device that doesn't have a space for a mobile phone sim card. Instead, the small and light N800 can...

Redshift 6 Premium Edition.(science education software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Redshift 6 Premium Edition Rarely do programs reviewed in this section reach the heady pricing heights of [pounds sterling]100, but then it's not often that discs are as far reaching as Redshift 6 Premium Edition....

Learn To Use The Internet.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Learn To Use The Internet If we had to sum up Learn To Use The Internet, our choice of words would be: "Oh dear." But as we want to back up our opinions with hard fact, we'll have to increase the word count. ...

New discoveries.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey New discoveries Never a dull moment as we explore five discs to help you understand words, stars, cells, global networks and Excel This issue we take a look at five learning titles. To start with we rocket off...

say cheese early years.
March 22, 2007... Byline: Scott Colvey Say Cheese Early Years Say Cheese Early Years is a simple drill-and-practice learning title for reception-age children (three to five years). With help from Maurice Mouse, a cartoon rodent with a fine line in...