Computer Act!ve articles from March 2009

Computer Act!ve archives from March 2009

Make widgets for your online start page.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Joe Cassells Make widgets for your online start page Add favourite web-based tools to your blog or web browser home page Personal online start pages, such as iGoogle and Windows Live, are popular because they enable...

Using Vistai?1/2s online print-ordering service.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Using Vista's online print-ordering service Vista's wizard makes it easy to order photos over the internet and have them delivered by post The rise of digital photography has heralded a wave of new services...

Find and share beautiful images free of charge.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Find and share beautiful images free of charge Discover a website that learns what kind of photos you like Computing is more visual than ever before and nearly everyone likes to spruce up their desktop with...

Protect sensitive files without a password.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Joe Cassells Protect sensitive files without a password Use a picture instead of a password to protect sensitive personal files In these days of identity theft it's very important to consider the security of sensitive...

Remove unwanted programs from your PC.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Nick Peers Remove unwanted programs from your PC Purge all traces of unwanted programs from your computer to free up hard disk space It's easy to get carried away with installing programs on your computer, but each...

Get organised with a free online calendar.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Get organised with a free online calendar Microsoft's new online calendar helps you stay organised -- and is free to use Windows Live is a collection of web-based products and services designed to keep...

Downloads.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Keep track of the amount of time you spend on projects and take screen breaks with regular prompts Wallpaper Juggler This is a helpful utility if you want some variation on your desktop without having to change...

Best of the web.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Get inspiration for colour schemes and see the latest ideas for Office software The British Cartoon Archive www.cartoons.ac.uk There is a strong tradition in this county of creating cartoons, particularly...

Win 100GB of online storage from Humyo.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Win 100GB of online storage from Humyo 25 subscriptions to Humyo Premium Consumer storage worth [pounds sterling]40 each to give away With all the files we store on our PCs, it's wise to have a backup. Online...

Just the tonic.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Ben Frain Just the tonic Give your computer a boost of energy by clearing clutter and sweeping away the debris left by unwanted programs Remember when your PC was new, started up like lightning and whizzed...

how to clear up your Registry with Ccleaner.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Ben Frain how to clear up your Registry with Ccleaner 1Download Ccleaner from www.computer active.co.uk/ 2128975 and install it. With the program open, choose Registry from the left-hand menu. Below the main window,...

alternative tools.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Ben Frain alternative tools In this article we've explained how to manually make system adjustments to give Windows a speed boost. However, for those uncomfortable doing so, or if you prefer an interface to manage the tasks,...

All for a good cause.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Naomi Mackay All for a good cause If there's a charity or fund that's close to your heart, find out how your PC can help you raise a little much-needed money for it We're not going to use the 'R' word but suffice to say,...

how to set up a page at Justgiving.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Naomi mackay how to set up a page at Justgiving 1Log on to www.justgiving.co.uk and click the Make your Page button. There are four options: sporting event, a page in memory of a loved one, celebrate a personal occasion or use...

Every click counts.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Naomi mackay Every click counts A total of 135,701 people have raised [pounds sterling]634,024.82 for charity using www.everyclick.com, without leaving their PCs. Everyclick offers many ways to raise funds but the simplest...

Advent AIO 200.(Product/service evaluation)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea-Marie Petrou Advent AIO 200 PC World takes on Apple at the all-in-one game Apart from its colour the Advent AIO 200 -- available exclusively through PC World shops and online -- bears a remarkable similarity to the...

Hauppauge HD PVR.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Hauppauge HD PVR Record high-definition TV to your computer Let's quickly get something out of the way; the HD PVR isn't a personal video recorder in the strict sense. Most PVRs plug straight into a...

Cyberlink Powerdirector 7 Deluxe.(Product/service evaluation)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Allen Cyberlink Powerdirector 7 Deluxe A video-editing tool for novices and enthusiasts Powerdirector is a set of tools for editing digital video and creating home movies so they can be saved to websites and DVDs....

Lexmark X4650.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Lexmark X4650 Print, scan and copy with this wireless device Part of Lexmark's 'home and student' series, the X4650 packs print, scan and copy functions into a reasonably small housing. With its slanted front,...

Pentax Optio M60.(Product/service evaluation)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Will Stapley Pentax Optio M60 A low-cost compact camera There's no shortage of low-cost digital cameras available, with all the big names having sub-[pounds sterling]100 models. Pentax's latest, the Optio M60, combines an...

Efergy Energy Meter.(Product/service evaluation)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester Efergy Energy Meter Keep track of how much electricity you're using The range of computers, accessories, media devices and other technologies that populate the average home means that most people's energy bills...

Nikon D90 18-105mm Kit.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tom Royal Nikon D90 18-105mm Kit High-quality still images and video We're big fans of Nikon's D60 digital SLR camera, which costs around [pounds sterling]400. The new D90, on the other hand, costs [pounds sterling]850. So...

Solve any PC problem.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tom Royal Solve any PC problem When computers go wrong they can seem baffling but the solution is often simple. We explain what to do When they work, computers seem simple. With a little practice, tasks such as...

So Protect Me Blocker.(Product/service evaluation)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester So Protect Me Blocker Limit access to a PC If you have children or share your computer with others you may be concerned about them accessing unsuitable content online or divulging personal details, So Protect...

i2i Stream.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Paul Lester i2i Stream Share music around the home If you have a computer full of music it's now relatively easy to share the tunes around the home. Many devices allow you to send music over a wireless network and listen...

Discover Blu-ray.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Emil Larsen Discover Blu-ray With their huge capacity, Blu-ray discs are great for storing movies and music -- we explain how to upgrade Over the last year or so Blu-ray discs have moved from being a niche product for...

Blu-ray on a laptop.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Emil Larsen Blu-ray on a laptop Adding a Blu-ray drive to a laptop can be more confusing than upgrading a desktop PC and it's more expensive. Most laptops use one of two types of slim optical drive: either 12.7mm high or 9.5mm...

Best of the Bunch.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Emil Larsen Best of the Bunch Sony's DDU-X10S (www.snipurl.com/benn1) is a Blu-ray reader that can't write to discs but costs [pounds sterling]60. It includes a copy of Cyberlink's PowerDVD Blu-ray movie software so you can...

Regulating the internet.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Tom Royal Regulating the internet In December 2008 Culture Secretary Andy Burnham gave an interview to the Daily Telegraph in which he announced his desire for "clearer standards online", explaining that this might include...

Fear 2.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Fear 2: Project Origin A second dose of the successful psychic shooter Info: www.whatisfear.com Age rating: 18 Overall: HHHHH Retail Price: [pounds sterling]35 Also consider: Crysis...

Save 20 per cent on Paragon Software products Everyone who registers their copy of Paragon Drive Copy 9 SE will receive a coupon code giving a 20 per cent discount off any other product in the Paragon range. There are tools to defragment a hard disk, rec.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Save 20 per cent on Paragon Software products Everyone who registers their copy of Paragon Drive Copy 9 SE will receive a coupon code giving a 20 per cent discount off any other product in the Paragon range....

Paragon Drive Copy 9 SE.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Paragon Drive Copy 9 SE System requirements: Windows 2000, XP, Vista Download from: www.computeractive.co.uk/drivecopy/index Registration: www.paragon-software.com/registration/ dc9se.html ...

Wifi lift-off.
March 5, 2009... Wifi lift-off Wireless won't always work first time in Linux -- we explain how to fix it One of the most common sources of frustration with Linux is that it can be very tricky to get wireless network adapters to work. Although...

how to Install Windows drivers in Linux.
March 5, 2009... how to Install Windows drivers in Linux 1Click on the System Menu, Administration and then Windows Wireless Drivers. Enter your password when requested. It is required because this is an important system change. 2Click on the Install...

Free online games.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Free online games play sport on stick cricket Stick Cricket allows you to take your place at the crease and face a bowling or batting test using stick figure characters. As England test their mettle...

Games news.
March 5, 2009... Games news Braid released for the pc Time-bending platform game Braid, which was a big hit in 2008 on the Xbox 360, is being made available for the PC at around [pounds sterling]15. The game puts players in the shoes of a character who...

Take a shortcut This replacement for the standard Windows image editor is more capable and learning some keyboard shortcuts will make it easier to use. As well as the usual shortcuts such as Ctrl and S to save and Ctrl and O to open files, try out the fol.
March 5, 2009... Take a shortcut This replacement for the standard Windows image editor is more capable and learning some keyboard shortcuts will make it easier to use. As well as the usual shortcuts such as Ctrl and S to save and Ctrl and O to open files,...

Backup up bookmarks The online bookmarking website Delicious is useful for sharing websites with other people and between several computers. It is a good idea to backup your bookmarks every so often. Log on to delicious.com and click on the Settings link.
March 5, 2009... Backup up bookmarks The online bookmarking website Delicious is useful for sharing websites with other people and between several computers. It is a good idea to backup your bookmarks every so often. Log on to delicious.com and click on...

Manage wallpaper In issue 287 Bob McFadden wrote about background pictures always being available. There is simpler solution to this problem as there is a second folder used by Windows when it looks for wallpapers. Click on the Start button and then on My.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Manage wallpaper In issue 287 Bob McFadden wrote about background pictures always being available. There is simpler solution to this problem as there is a second folder used by Windows when it looks for wallpapers. Click on the Start...

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF paragon drive copy 9 se.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF paragon drive copy 9 se 1The file on our website is a Zip file that contains all the files needed for the installation. To use it, save it to the Desktop as directed above. Once...

nmusic service available to all The creators of a Swedish music-streaming service are allowing UK users to join the service without an invitation. Spotify was previously only available to users who had been invited to listen to the service. The tracks are.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou and Dinah Greek nmusic service available to all The creators of a Swedish music-streaming service are allowing UK users to join the service without an invitation. Spotify was previously only available to users who...

London marriage info put online.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek London marriage info put online The latest genealogical information put online by Ancestry.co.uk are the London Marriage Licences 1521-1896. More than 25,000 weddings, spanning over 350 years, are documented,...

Amazon rekindles ebook.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Shaun Nichols Amazon rekindles ebook Amazon has launched the latest version of its ebook reader. Kindle 2 has a 9.1mm case and 2GB of memory, which can hold up to 200 books -- much more than the original. The display screen...

Local stations under review The Government has launched an independent review of the future of local radio stations. It will look at the requirements needed to sustain stations while various operators struggle in the economic downturn. This is as a result.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Local stations under review The Government has launched an independent review of the future of local radio stations. It will look at the requirements needed to sustain stations while various operators...

Outdated games resurrected.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Outdated games resurrected Researchers are developing software that could eventually be used to open outdated games and file formats. As part of the three-year European Union project, Keeping Emulation...

Storage on the move.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Storage on the move Backup you important files and documents with these portable disks 1 Amacom EZSecure For those who want to make sure that their data is secure from prying eyes, this 160GB disk...

none charger for all mobile phones Mobile phone operators and manufacturers have agreed on a standard Universal Charging Solution (UCS), which will be used to power all future mobile phones. The GSM Association said by January 2012 the majority of new mob.
March 5, 2009... none charger for all mobile phones Mobile phone operators and manufacturers have agreed on a standard Universal Charging Solution (UCS), which will be used to power all future mobile phones. The GSM Association said by January 2012 the...

Social sites tackle bullying Social networking sites are taking steps to protect children from cyber bullying. The move follows a campaign by the European Commission, which set up a Social Networking Task Force in 2008 to protect children online. Under th.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Social sites tackle bullying Social networking sites are taking steps to protect children from cyber bullying. The move follows a campaign by the European Commission, which set up a Social Networking Task Force in...

nSee your mp tweet online Constituents can now find out what MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) have been saying on Twitter. Tweetminster aggregates MPsi?1/2 tweets and people can search for keywords such as i?1/2economyi?1/2 to see what Members of P.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Staff nSee your mp tweet online Constituents can now find out what MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) have been saying on Twitter. Tweetminster aggregates MPs' tweets and people can search for keywords such as...

Tories sorry for Wiki edit Conservative leader David Cameron has apologised after a member of his staff changed an entry on Wikipedia. The aim was to ensure Mr Cameron won a Commons row with Prime Minister Gordon Brown over how old Titian was when he died.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Tories sorry for Wiki edit Conservative leader David Cameron has apologised after a member of his staff changed an entry on Wikipedia. The aim was to ensure Mr Cameron won a Commons row with Prime Minister...

Facebook terms under scrutiny.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Facebook terms under scrutiny Facebook users are continuing to monitor the social networking site's plans to introduce new terms of service. Last month the site was forced to make a U-turn after thousands of...

Win laptop computer accessories from Sandberg.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Win laptop computer accessories from Sandberg 10 laptop accessory packs from Sandberg worth [pounds sterling]172 each to give away Computeractive has teamed up with Sandberg (www.sandberg.it) to give 10...

Greenpeace uses GPS to track illegal trade.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Greenpeace uses GPS to track illegal trade Environmentalists have tracked a TV to expose the illegal trade in waste electrical and electronic devices. A GPS tracking device was placed inside an unfixable...

Police want power to tap internet phone calls.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Shaun Nicholls Police want power to tap internet phone calls The European Union's (EU) criminal justice branch is to investigate ways in which law enforcement agencies could tap people's broadband telephone calls. The move...

Webroot Internet Security Essentials.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Harry Burrows Webroot Internet Security Essentials Security scanning and backup in one tool Webroot Internet Security Essentials offers to protect you from spyware, viruses and other threats while not getting in the way...

nrogue errors warning Security company Sophos has warned that a new rogue application, the so-called i?1/2error check systemi?1/2 is spreading through Facebook. A user is sent a message from a friend who has been infected claiming there are multiple i?1/2errorsi?1/2 on.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: staff nrogue errors warning Security company Sophos has warned that a new rogue application, the so-called 'error check system' is spreading through Facebook. A user is sent a message from a friend who has been infected...

ISPs failing to filter abuse.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou ISPs failing to filter abuse Children's charities are calling on the Government to force internet service providers (ISPs) to do more to filter access to child abuse websites. Around 700,000 households in the...

Critics force action on data swap Bill.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Critics force action on data swap Bill justice secretary Jack Straw has indicated that he will make changes to a controversial plan to allow Whitehall departments to swap the data they hold on individuals. ...

nvirgin upgrades broadband Virgin Media has announced it is to upgrade all its 2Mbits/sec customers to i?1/2up to 10Mbits/seci?1/2 free of charge. The upgrade, and a new 20Mbits/sec service, will start in May. The company announced the beginning of a 50Mbits/sec.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Clive Akass nvirgin upgrades broadband Virgin Media has announced it is to upgrade all its 2Mbits/sec customers to 'up to 10Mbits/sec' free of charge. The upgrade, and a new 20Mbits/sec service, will start in May. The company...

Snap a copper, come a cropper.(Counter-Terrorism Act 2008)(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Snap a copper, come a cropper Photographers, both professional and amateur, have denounced a new law that could see them arrested for taking pictures of police officers. The Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, which...

Green claims code updated.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Byline: Andrea Petrou Green claims code updated Consumer confusion over spurious 'green claims' for products has forced the Government to take action. Defra has updated its Green Claims code to ensure consumers aren't tricked into...

Police to tackle cyber crimes.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Police to tackle cyber crimes Fraud centre chief speaks frankly about how she plans to deal with internet fraud It is only right that victims of cyber crime should be able to report this to the police, said the...

Windows Watch The Government has said that public services and organisations such as schools should avoid being i?1/2locked into proprietary softwarei?1/2. It said that open-source software, which includes software such as the Linux operating system and Open Off.
March 5, 2009... Byline: Dinah Greek Windows Watch The Government has said that public services and organisations such as schools should avoid being 'locked into proprietary software'. It said that open-source software, which includes software...

Readers to the rescue.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Readers to the rescue Q|How can I make the sidebar in Windows Vista transparent so that it only shows the gadgets and not with a background block of colour that covers the right part of the screen? The sidebar is...

Listen again i?1/2 again Q/With regard to Liam Oi?1/2Harei?1/2s problem recording radio from the BBC Listen Again, in issue 288, I am fortunate in owning two old but serviceable laptops. I just plug the headphone output from one of the computers into the microphone i.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Listen again -- again Q|With regard to Liam O'Hare's problem recording radio from the BBC Listen Again, in issue 288, I am fortunate in owning two old but serviceable laptops. I just plug the headphone output from one...

Video reviews online.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith We look at a high-end gaming keyboard, learn about the credit crunch and a tasty growth market Logitech Gaming keyboard Gamers demand a lot from their hardware and the Logitech G19 delivers on these expectations,...

downloads.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Get the weather with a widget, reduce eye strain and take a step back in time with a virtual 'typewriter' Display Fusion Gives better control over the Windows Wallpaper, especially if there are two monitors...

WIN a copy of Spysure Home Edition.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith WIN a copy of Spysure Home Edition 25 copies of Spysure Home Edition Parental Controls software to be won You can't get away from children wanting to use the internet but even if they use the computer in the...

Best of the web.(Website list)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Smith Share updates with friends, enjoy music visualisations and track your sleep Better Money Skills www.bettermoneyskills.com It's never been more important to keep on top of your finances and this new site from...

Give remote PC help with free software.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Townsend Give remote PC help with free software Fix family and friends' computer problems without leaving home, using a remote connection When word gets around that you're more than just a bit PC savvy the cries...

Keep on top of tasks with Google Mail.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Keep on top of tasks with Google Mail Google's webmail service now includes a to-do list manager to keep on top of everyday tasks Email has probably supplanted word processing as the typical PC user's...

Workshop intro_and_jargon.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Joe Cassells Listen to thousands of songs free of charge With the Spotify website, anyone can listen to all kinds of music all day, every day at no cost p36 manage tasks in google mail Keep on top of everyday tasks...

Remove a Facebook account permanently.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Remove a Facebook account permanently Deactivating a Facebook account is easy but deleting it forever is harder. Here's how it's done When it turned out that it wasn't actually possible to delete a...

Turn your PC into a home-entertainment centre.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Paul Townsend Turn your PC into a home-entertainment centre Use the free Media Portal software to manage all your music, video and photo files If you use the Home Premium or Ultimate editions of Windows Vista then...

Make your PC greener and save money.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Joe Cassells Make your PC greener and save money Optimise the energy saving settings on your computer to reduce your carbon footprint With crippling energy prices and widespread concern about carbon footprints,...

Listen to a free online library of songs.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Rob Beattie Listen to a free online library of songs With the Spotify service, anyone can listen to all kinds of music all day, every day at no cost Sometimes a new tool comes along that is so simple and so good that...

Lucky 7?
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Anderton Lucky 7? As the seventh major version of Windows prepares for launch, we give you a sneak preview of the changes -- and ask whether Microsoft has learned the lessons of Vista Windows 7 is nearly upon us; the...

six Key new features in Windows 7.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Tim Anderton six Key new features in Windows 7 1 Multi-touch For PCs such as HP's Touchsmart, Microsoft is touting the new multi-touch user interface as a significant way to control Windows. You can tap and drag with a...

Improve XP.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey Improve XP Microsoft's Powertoys are simple to install and improve Windows XP immeasurably. They're also free, so what are you waiting for? We've been running our Masterclass section for over a year now and,...

Powertoys for Windows Vista?
March 19, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey Powertoys for Windows Vista? It would be unfair to say that Microsoft has written off Windows Vista as a bad job but certainly for a while now the focus of the company's programmers has been fixed on Windows 7, the...

How to stop autoplaying CDs and DVDs using Tweak UI.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Scott Colvey How to stop autoplaying CDs and DVDs using Tweak UI 1Download and install Tweak UI from www.snipurl.com/powertoys. Launch the program and click My Computer in the navigation pane on the left-hand side. Click to...

Free for all.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Chris Wiles Free for all The web is full of free software, but it can be hard to know which programs are safe. We've hand-picked 50 of the best Not long ago it was reasonably safe to find new websites, download interesting...

Penumbra Collection.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Jonathan Parkyn Penumbra Collection Take on the whole terrifying trilogy -- if you dare Info: www.penumbragame.com Age rating: 16+ Overall: HHHHH Retail price: [pounds sterling]20 Also consider: Anderson...

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music.
March 19, 2009... Byline: Nigel Whitfield Nokia 5800 Xpress Music Nokia's take on the touchscreen music phone It's been a long time coming but Nokia's 5800 Xpress Music -- or, to put it another way, its competitor to the iPhone -- is finally...