Computer Act!ve articles from November 2008

Computer Act!ve archives from November 2008

T-Mobile Web i?1/2ni?1/2 Walk Stick.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran T-Mobile Web 'n' Walk Stick The Web 'n' Walk Stick allows users to access the T-Mobile network for internet browsing by plugging it into a computer (it requires a mobile phone Sim card to be slotted into it...

Pick the right programs for your files.(changes in file associations after installing new software)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Joe Cassells Pick the right programs for your files Edit file associations to take control of which programs automatically open certain documents When you double-click a file stored on a PC's hard disk, the computer...

Plan routes and explore layers in Google Earth.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Plan routes and explore layers in Google Earth Discover how to make the most of the less obvious features of Google's globe-mapping tool Although it doesn't seem that long since the remarkable mapping and...

Workshop intro.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph explore more in Google Earth Discover how to make the most of the less obvious but more useful features of Google's globe-mapping tool. p36 Control Vista with your voice Find out how Vista's built-in...

Control Windows Vista with only your voice.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph Control Windows Vista with only your voice Vista's speech recognition can operate programs without the keyboard or mouse. Here's how Despite ongoing progress, speech-recognition technology is still a long...

Earn cash from your website with a tip jar.(Website overview)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Earn cash from your website with a tip jar Think people might want to pay to read your website or blog? Then add a tip jar Working hard on an informative blog or keeping a useful website up to date? Most...

Turn your webcam into a home security system.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Joe Cassells Turn your webcam into a home security system It's easy to protect your home cheaply with a webcam, PC and internet connection Many people own webcams these days, whether built into a notebook PC screen or...

Navigon 8110.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Navigon 8110 We recently looked at Navigon's 2110max (www.computeractive.co. uk/2221674), which is an excellent sat-nav system. The 8110 does the same thing, but adds loads of extras. Those include a Bluetooth connection to a phone so...

Save 20 per cent on the Paragon range Partition Manager 9 SE is just one of Paragoni?1/2s disk-related products. The range also includes Drive Backup, a speedy backup tool. Disk Wiper securely erases files so they cani?1/2t be undeleted later. Prices start at i?1/213.(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Save 20 per cent on the Paragon range Partition Manager 9 SE is just one of Paragon's disk-related products. The range also includes Drive Backup, a speedy backup tool. Disk Wiper securely erases files so they can't be undeleted later....

Navman S30 3D.
November 13, 2008... Navman S30 3D The S30 3D may be the lowest-priced of Navman's latest range of navigators but it's still an impressive device. In addition to the standard mapping it offers extra hints in the form of three-dimensional representations of...

Jargon.(7-Zip Portable)(Task Coach)(Artweaver)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Work with compressed files, organise your life, cruise the solar system and play old Dos games today 7-Zip Portable 7-Zip is a utility for creating or extracting files from within compressed files. It can be...

Never miss a trick.
November 13, 2008... Byline: James Middleton Never miss a trick Get ahead of the online crowd by making sure you never miss out on updates from any kind of website We're all familiar with the phrases 'surfing the web' and 'browsing the internet',...

Add an RSS feed to Internet Explorer 7.
November 13, 2008... Byline: James Middleton Add an RSS feed to Internet Explorer 7 1We'll use the Computeractive RSS feed as an example. Go to our RSS feed page, either by clicking the orange RSS box on the home page, or go straight to...

Christmas crackers!
November 13, 2008... Byline: Martin James Christmas crackers! Don't get flattened by the Christmas rush. Use your PC to save yourself time, stress and money this festive season Christmas itself may be a time of peace and happiness but all too often...

Print card labels using Mail Merge in Office 2003.(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Martin James Print card labels using Mail Merge in Office 2003 1Open a blank document in Word, then click on Tools, Letters and Mailings followed by the Mail Merge Wizard. A new page will open up on the right-hand side of the...

Free templates online.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Martin James Free templates online Paid-for card-design software will invariably come with plenty of templates to base your card and tag designs on, but you needn't spend any money at all. Have a look online and you'll...

Play your cards right.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Play your cards right If you're tired of trailing USB cables around after you, adding an expansion card to your notebook can be simpler, neater and safer Both desktop and notebook computer owners are used to...

Five of the best uses for expansion cards.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Five of the best uses for expansion cards Add a media card reader Many notebooks include a built-in card reader, but it may not support all the memory cards you need. Belkin's Media Reader-Writer Express Card...

Card adapters.(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Card adapters Some older notebooks don't have an Express Card slot, but that needn't mean missing out on the latest devices. Novatel Wireless makes an adapter that enables many Express Card 34 cards to be slotted...

Vistai?1/2s greatest hits.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Vista's greatest hits Vista has some great tools that you won't find in any other version of Windows. We explain 10 of the best features found in the Vista Home Premium Anyone who's read about Windows...

How to beef up the Vista firewall.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie How to beef up the Vista firewall 1By default the Vista firewall allows programs on your PC to access the internet without warning you, but it's possible to stop this. Click the Start button and choose Control...

Ultimate Extras.(Windows Vista Ultimate)(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Ultimate Extras Windows Vista Ultimate costs quite a bit more than Vista Home Premium but includes a number of important behind-the-scenes features that keen computer users may value. These include a backup...

Extending XP.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Extending XP Even if you prefer to stick with Windows XP, it's possible to get tools similar to Vista's by adding software. For example, if you like Vista's fancy design, give XP a wash and brush up with something...

Reallusion iClone 3.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph Reallusion iClone 3 A powerful, affordable 3D animation program There's a popular trend that's taken off in the last couple of years called machinima; using games or low-cost software to create short 3D films...

Recover your lost files.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Recover your lost files Accidentally deleted a vital file or suffered hard disk failure? All is not lost: we explain how to recover deleted files Whether it comes about as a result of accidental deletion,...

Commercial recovery options.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Commercial recovery options If the tools mentioned in this Masterclass fail to retrieve valuable lost files, all may not be lost. There are a number of companies that specialise in recovering data from almost...

HOW TO Retrieve accidentally deleted files.(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson HOW TO Retrieve accidentally deleted files 1Download Recuva from from www.recuva.com. Launch it, tick the box to hide the wizard and click Cancel so the program will switch to full manual mode. Select a disk from...

Best of the web.(www.dailylit.com)(www.meebo.com)(www.chef2chef.net)
November 13, 2008... Get book snippets sent to you, send messages from any computer and create your own online game Dailylit www.dailylit.com Dailylit splits books up into short excerpts that are then sent by email or direct to your web browser....

Video downloads.
November 13, 2008... Check out a splashproof USB key, a touch-sensitive mirror, a mouse in mid-air and a ring in a blender Waterproof USB memory key Your USB memory key may not get dropped in water very often but we all get caught in the rain sometimes....

Free laptop deals.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Tom Royal Free laptop deals If you've watched commercial television recently you might have noticed dozens of adverts offering 'free' notebook computers to people who sign up to a broadband internet contract. Most of us know...

Take your tunes with you.(portable music players)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Take your tunes with you Never be without your favourite songs with our pick of the best portable music players around 1 Creative Zen X-Fi This minimalist player's buttons change their function...

WIN a Tomtom One Assist with a yeari?1/2s free breakdown cover.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou WIN a Tomtom One Assist with a year's free breakdown cover Ten Tomtom One Assist sat-navs worth [pounds sterling]130 each to give away Computeractive has teamed up with Tomtom and Comet to give 10 readers the...

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF Paragon partition manager 9 se.(instructions to download a program)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF Paragon partition manager 9 se 1Download the program as instructed above and follow the instructions to start the installation process. When you see the above screen click the...

Delays hit care system Local authorities in England and Wales have failed to meet the Governmenti?1/2s deadline for installing an electronic social care record system. The system satisfies the requirements of the Integrated Childreni?1/2s System. This is part o.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Rosalie Marshall Delays hit care system Local authorities in England and Wales have failed to meet the Government's deadline for installing an electronic social care record system. The system satisfies the requirements of...

Copyright clinic launched.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek Copyright clinic launched The British TV and film industry has launched an online educational service to help combat illegal downloads. The Copyright Clinic will show short video clips that explain intellectual...

Industry proposes own ratings system.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Industry proposes own ratings system The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (Elspa) has proposed a solution to the controversy surrounding video game ratings. The consortium has...

nhp releases mobile minis HP has launched a range of mini-notebook computers with mobile internet software. The HP Mini 1000 and Compaq Mini 700 have a 10.2in display and weigh 1.1kg. They come in 8GB and 16GB versions, and have a webcam, Wifi and Bluetoo.
November 13, 2008... nhp releases mobile minis HP has launched a range of mini-notebook computers with mobile internet software. The HP Mini 1000 and Compaq Mini 700 have a 10.2in display and weigh 1.1kg. They come in 8GB and 16GB versions, and have a webcam,...

EU addresses web problem.(European Court of Justice)(Brief article)
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek EU addresses web problem Companies must provide an additional means of contact on their websites besides email addresses, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. The extra contact could be a phone number...

Auction site bans sale of ivory from 2009.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou Auction site bans sale of ivory from 2009 Ebay has announced a worldwide ban on the sale of elephant ivory products on its site from next year. Currently, Ebay sellers are allowed to list ivory products for...

nLonely hearts seduced by crooks Fraudsters are fooling consumers into handling stolen goods. The victims are being duped into taking in goods and forwarding them to addresses in other countries, unaware that the goods have been bought with stolen credit.
November 13, 2008... Byline: staff nLonely hearts seduced by crooks Fraudsters are fooling consumers into handling stolen goods. The victims are being duped into taking in goods and forwarding them to addresses in other countries, unaware that the goods...

nmap the traffic with google People using Google Maps can now view live traffic information. Google Traffic Maps is a joint venture between the search engine and the Highways Agency. The system overlays the average speeds on Englandi?1/2s motorways and A-roa.
November 13, 2008... nmap the traffic with google People using Google Maps can now view live traffic information. Google Traffic Maps is a joint venture between the search engine and the Highways Agency. The system overlays the average speeds on England's...

HP joins in Broadband for All scheme.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Andrea Vassou HP joins in Broadband for All scheme computer Manufacturer Hewlett Packard (HP) has said it will take part in a [pounds sterling]300m government scheme to provide IT equipment to disadvantaged families. The...

Battery cells may overheat Several of the worldi?1/2s best-known notebook makers have issued recall notices for 100,000 Sony-made batteries because of fears they might overheat. According to Sony, the five PC makers affected by the recall are Acer, Dell, HP,.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Ian Williams Battery cells may overheat Several of the world's best-known notebook makers have issued recall notices for 100,000 Sony-made batteries because of fears they might overheat. According to Sony, the five PC...

Ebay case threatens feedback.
November 13, 2008... Byline: andrea vassou and dinah greek Ebay case threatens feedback If the Ebay seller who plans to sue a disgruntled customer for libel wins his case, it could make future feedback "worthless", according to a leading media lawyer. ...

Windows Watch Last month we had a sneak preview of Windows 7, the next version of Windows, which is due to go on sale in 2010. The Taskbar has been revamped to organise icons into groups, while home networking is designed to be a more plug-and-play exper.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek Windows Watch Last month we had a sneak preview of Windows 7, the next version of Windows, which is due to go on sale in 2010. The Taskbar has been revamped to organise icons into groups, while home...

nultimate guide to troubleshooting In our latest Ultimate Guide, we take a look at PC troubleshooting. As well as examining some common problems and explaining how to overcome them, we also look at how to keep your PC free of problems in the first place,.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Staff nultimate guide to troubleshooting In our latest Ultimate Guide, we take a look at PC troubleshooting. As well as examining some common problems and explaining how to overcome them, we also look at how to keep your PC...

Phishers target Lloyds customers.
November 13, 2008... Byline: staff nPhishers target lloyds customers Lloyds TSB customers are being targeted in a new phishing attack that claims to offer users a free copy of Kaspersky's Internet Security 2009 software. Users are promised the software in...

CVs do job for ID thieves.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek CVs do job for ID thieves Job hunters are being warned to limit the personal information they include on CVs posted online because their details could be used for identity fraud. In a recent controlled...

NHS computer system rollout stalls.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek and computing NHS computer system rollout stalls The [pounds sterling]12.7bn NHS electronic care programme has ground to a halt in many parts of the country. Ministers want the programme, which is overseen by...

New tool gives accurate internet usage figures.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek New tool gives accurate internet usage figures A new bandwidth monitoring tool from Thinkbroadband claims to give consumers a more complete picture about their internet usage than most online speed testers. ...

Logo for MP3 music Seven of the UKi?1/2s music download retailers are helping to educate people about the growing availability of music in the MP3 format. A logo has been created by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), whose members account for more.
November 13, 2008... Byline: andrea vassou Logo for MP3 music Seven of the UK's music download retailers are helping to educate people about the growing availability of music in the MP3 format. A logo has been created by the Entertainment Retailers...

Microsoft warns of piracy risks.
November 13, 2008... Byline: Dinah Greek Microsoft warns of piracy risks Company claims illegal software can contain malicious programs One in three PCs in the UK is running unlicensed or counterfeit software that could put users at risk of cybercrime,...

Add useful content to Google Earth.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Add useful content to Google Earth Google Earth makes it easy to add your own information. We explain how In the last issue we looked at adding simple place marks to Google Earth. In this issue we're going...

Create a home page with Google Sites.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph Create a home page with Google Sites With this free service from Google, it's quick, easy and free to make your own website There are plenty of web-design programs that'll help you create pages for your...

Workshop intro.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Cliff Joseph Set up free online surveys Want to know what people are thinking? Use a free web-based survey tool to find out p36 personalise Google Earth Google Earth makes it easy to add your own information. We...

Keep sensitive data safe from snoops.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Keep sensitive data safe from snoops Find out how to hide files and folders in an invisible 'box' to keep them safe from prying eyes Although there are plenty of ways to store information secretly on a PC,...

Display stored versions of websites.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Joe Cassells Display stored versions of websites Need to view an apparently dead website? We show you how The world wide web is made up of a vast number of pages of information stored on different computers all over...

Set up a free online survey.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Rob Beattie Set up a free online survey Want to know what people are thinking? Use a free web-based survey tool to find out Most of us would like to know what other people are thinking, whether we run a club or have a...

How to send images using the Windows Photo Wizard.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... How to send images using the Windows Photo Wizard 1In Windows XP, open the folder that contains your pictures (or create one for them) and click once on the image you want to email. To select multiple images, hold down the Ctrl key and...

Share photos the easy way.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Share photos the easy way We've got used to sharing photos by email because for a long time it was the best way to do so. Things change, though, and online photo albums have surpassed rickety old email as the easiest way to let friends and...

Advanced file compression.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Advanced file compression Switch from Zip to Rar and you'll achieve far greater levels of compression. We explain all When it comes to compressing files and folders stored on a PC's hard disk, most people will...

shrink your files further.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson shrink your files further While impressive levels of compression can be achieved using Winrar, files can be further shrunk using KGB Archiver (www.kgbarchiver.net). Though file type has a lot to do with it, the...

How to access WinRARi?1/2s hidden features.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson How to access WinRAR's hidden features 1A easy way to create Rar files is to make use of Winrar's context menu. Select one or more folders or files and right-click on the selection to view several compression...

Packard Bell Easynote BG45-U-300.(Product/service evaluation)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Andrea-Marie Vassou Packard Bell Easynote BG45-U-300 Small and light but not quite a mini-laptop This has been the year of the mini-laptop, with several released at a price of less than [pounds sterling]300. There have...

Screen test.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Will Stapley Screen test Choosing a good display can mean wandering through a maze of jargon. We explain what to look for and what to avoid The price of computer displays has plummeted in recent years, so if you're...

Best on test.(HP w1907v)(LG W2252TQ)(Benq V2400W)(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Will Stapley Best on test Read our advice, but not sure where to start looking? Here are a few of the best displays from our recent issues, with links to a full review of each one: HP w1907v If you're on a tight...

LG Flatron M2294D.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran LG Flatron M2294D The M2294D is primarily a computer monitor A- it includes both of the common sockets for connecting computers A- but it can also receive Freeview broadcasts and has two HDMI connectors for...

Dvico TViX 6500a.(Product/service evaluation)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Paul Lester Dvico TViX 6500a A cutting-edge media streamer Many of us have collections of music and video files on our computers. The question of how to free those from the PC and view or listen to them on a television or...

Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Anthony Dhanendran Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000 The Digital Media Keyboard 3000 is a little daunting at first, simply because of the sheer number of keys on the keyboard. In addition to the usual letters, numbers and...

Canon EOS 1000D.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Gavin Stoker Canon EOS 1000D Canon goes after the beginners' market Canon's 10-megapixel EOS 1000D digital SLR slots in below the 12-megapixel 450D in the manufacturer's range. At [pounds sterling]500 (for the...

Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Gavin Stoker Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd Get in on the action Fujifilm consistently delivers reliable cameras, and the 10-megapixel S8100fd doesn't buck the trend. The huge 18x zoom lens gives the camera the appearance of...

Polaroid Pogo.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Andrew Zarkesh Polaroid Pogo Get instant photos from a camera or phone Polaroid's long heritage in instant photography has taken a beating over the past few years as cheap digital cameras made the old instant cameras...

Zoom H2 Handy Recorder.(Product/service evaluation)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Simon Williams Zoom H2 Handy Recorder A sub-[pounds sterling]150 portable solid-state recorder for broadcast-level recording Sound recording enthusiasts and professionals now tend to use digital audio recorders that...

Clickfree Portable Hard Drive 120GB.(Product/service evaluation)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Simon Williams Clickfree Portable Hard Drive 120GB No-hassle backup for several PCs Clickfree is a complete backup product, designed to copy all the important files on a user's computer. The Clickfree idea is a simple...

Free downloads.(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Folder shortcuts made easy, scanning for malicious software, blogging to multiple sites and more Flashfolder Tool Flashfolder Tool offers plenty of folder shortcut options, with shortcuts for recent and favourite...

WIN a powerful gaming computer and Far Cry 2.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith WIN a powerful gaming computer and Far Cry 2 Five runners-up will win Far Cry 2, worth [pounds sterling]35 Computer gaming has come a long way since the days of Pong and Tetris. Far Cry 2 pushes the...

Best of the web.(http://journeyofabook.com)(www.twiddla.com)(www.sliderocket.com)(www.gliffy.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith A novel idea is hit upon with Journey of a Book, and reader Stephen Williams picks his top websites Journey of a Book http://journeyofabook.com Starting soon, a real book will be sent around the world via the...

Power failure Q/I was working on my laptop with Windows Vista when the battery suddenly ran out. There was no warning and I lost quite a lot of work because I had no chance to save it. I thought the power cable was connected but it must have been pulled o.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith Power failure Q|I was working on my laptop with Windows Vista when the battery suddenly ran out. There was no warning and I lost quite a lot of work because I had no chance to save it. I thought the power cable was...

Online video reviews.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Tim Smith It's the Christmas season A- a time for clever toys, gifts for children, tree trimming and exercise Elmo Live Elmo Live is the most sophisticated Elmo toy yet. Andrea Vassou discovers that not only is he a very...

Write it in a newsletter.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson Write it in a newsletter We show you how to create an attractive email template that's ideal for adding some style to a Christmas family newsletter There are numerous occasions when you may wish to send the same...

HOW TO CREATe your own stationery.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson HOW TO CREATe your own stationery 1Open a new blank email and click Format, then Apply Stationery and make a selection from the sub-menu that appears. Use the More Stationery link to access additional styles. The...

How to create an email group.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Mark Wilson How to create an email group When sending the same email to a large number of people, it can be time-consuming to have to type out individual email addresses or select them each in turn from the address book. To...

Love your laptop.
November 27, 2008... Byline: Will Stapley Love your laptop Got a portable PC? Here's our guide to getting the very best from it Small, portable, powerful A- no wonder laptop sales are booming. And with low-cost mini laptops appearing by the...

Sitting Comfortably?(Brief article)
November 27, 2008... Byline: Will Stapley Sitting Comfortably? While laptops are great when out and about, using them at home for any length of time can be a recipe for back or neck pain. For long periods of use a desktop computer, set up at a comfortable...